Manoah shows signs of progress

BUFFALO As Alek Manoah took the mound on a cold spring afternoon in Buffalo, reminders of what the former all-star is working toward were everywhere.

There was the fan in the front row of Sahlen Field who stood out with a powder blue No. 6 Manoah jersey as patrons around him bundled up in winter coats and blankets. Danny Jansen, who caught Manoah’s final start with the Blue Jays last August before the right-hander was sent to the minors for the second time, crouched behind home plate.

And about 240 feet behind Manoah were Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson, high-leverage relievers who, along with Jansen, led the contingent of rehabbing Jays invading Triple-A Bisons territory for the opener of a doubleheader against the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday.

While the trio of teammates are expected to return to the big club soon, Manoah’s status is less clear. But his second rehab appearance since he felt right shoulder discomfort following a spring training start on Feb. 27 was a step in the right direction.

“I thought I was throwing the ball well,” Manoah said after allowing four earned runs in 3 1 ⁄ innings and 3 successfully reaching his 75-pitch limit. “At the end of the day, when I’m in the zone, my stuff’s moving well, there’s going to be better results than worse. I felt good about the way I was attacking.”

The overall line wasn’t flattering — he gave up eight hits (including six singles) and walked one while striking out four — but the 26-yearold Manoah seemed to regain some of the control that’s been missing since the start of the 2023 season, when he walked 6.1 batters per nine innings. On Saturday, he threw 48 of 78 pitches for strikes against the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate with no hit batters, and the only walk came on the last hitter he faced.

“We wanted to fill up the zone today,” Jansen said. “Definitely had a little bit of work throughout the game, but I did like his aggression and I liked the confidence in his pitches. We were just trying to go after guys.”

For his part, Jansen went 0-for-4 but caught all seven innings of Buffalo’s 8-2 loss to Rochester as he works his way back from a wrist injury. Romano threw 18 pitches over two-thirds of an inning, walking three and striking out one, while Swanson allowed a run on two hits over 18 pitches and twothirds of an inning of his own.

Manoah’s performance marked an improvement over his first rehab start at Single-A Dunedin last Sunday, when he walked the first four batters and gave up six earned runs on five hits, including a home run, while also hitting a batter and recording just five outs. This time out, the plan was clear: attack the zone.

“I was controlling everything that I can control,” Manoah said. “I was attacking. There weren’t many three-ball counts. And when there was, I still attacked and got right back in there. I think that’s the biggest thing is not giving up on counts, and understanding that my stuff is really good … I just need to attack and execute.”

There were flashes of the Manoah who became Toronto’s undisputed ace in 2022 — and it wasn’t just the Blue Jays pants he was wearing with his white No. 60 Bisons jersey. After a slider produced an ugly swinging third strike from Red Wings shortstop Jack Dunn to end the first inning, Manoah confidently skipped off the mound and into the Bisons dugout.

“You kind of look back to why you started playing. It’s cause you love it, you know? And as you start to check those boxes rehabbing, one of those boxes is go out there, have fun, compete,” Manoah said.

Having fun and attacking the zone. The rest will take care of itself.