The Toronto Blue Jays announced prior to their opening game on their road trip in Oakland on Friday night that right-hander Alek Manoah will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.
Following Manoah’s request for a second opinion from renowned orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister, an announcement was made. Manoah departed his May 29 start against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning because to soreness in his right arm. The following day, he was put on the 15-day injury list.
Manoah had irritation in his right shoulder during spring training, which put him on the injured list at the start of the season. On May 6, he made his Blue Jays season debut. He placed third in the 2022 Cy Young vote, but had a rough season the previous year, ending up in the minor leagues with a 5.87 ERA.
The Blue Jays also announced a roster move prior to Friday’s game, assigning infielder Cavan Biggio to assignment and acquiring infielder Spencer Horwitz. After 44 games, Biggio’s hitting line for the Blue Jays was.200/.323/.291. Horwitz played 57 games at Triple-A Buffalo, compiling a.456 OBP and a.970 OPS.
Biggio would have had to accept an option assignment because he had five years of service left.
The Blue Jays selected Biggio, the son of Hall of Famer Craig, in the 2016 draft. He developed through the organization with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., two other offspring of major league players. Biggio made his Blue Jays debut in 2019 and went on to hit.227/.343/.382 in his more than five seasons with the team. Over the seasons, notably this year, Biggio’s playing time had decreased despite his development into a dynamic super-utility player. Nevertheless, Biggio has been a vital member of the team during both their rebuilding and winning seasons, and the clubhouse will be shaken by his sudden departure.
How losing Manoah will impact the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays will not have much depth in their starting pitching staff without Manoah, so they will have to dig deeper.
The Blue Jays used reliever Trevor Richards to start the game earlier this week to cover for Manoah. A procession of bullpen arms, including Bowden Francis, who fits the description of a bulk arm, followed.
For the foreseeable future, the Blue Jays could keep using a bullpen day every fifth start, but that would put a lot of strain on a bullpen that is already among the worst in MLB and is missing its closer, Jordan Romano, who is out with right elbow inflammation.
As an alternative, Yariel Rodríguez, who entered the rotation earlier this season before suffering a back ailment, is a possibility for the Blue Jays. Now that he has recovered, Rodriguez is playing with Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays’ primary concern is for him to keep increasing his pitch total; but, given Manoah’s absence, they must determine if he will stay in the minors to continue doing so or if they need him to pitch in the majors.
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(Photo: Colin E. Braley / Associated Press)
