Alek Manoah's spring training struggles just got worse for Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays got some bad news on Thursday regarding right-hander Alek Manoah.

Recently, the right-hander has been dealing with shoulder soreness in his throwing arm, but he was scheduled to throw a side session today.

However, things may have taken a turn for the worse as Manoah's scheduled session has been cancelled, as the shoulder soreness has persisted. He is considered day-to-day.

Manoah had a dreadful 2023 season, going 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA. He also was demoted to the Florida Complex League.

On Twitter, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet provided the news of Manoah's latest setback and what the Blue Jays are now facing.

Alek Manoah still day-to-day after Blue Jays side session cancelled

This is bad news for the Blue Jays.

The 26-year-old came into spring training looking trimmer after a rigorous offseason workout routine, which had Blue Jays fans feeling pretty good about where the right-hander was at.

Unfortunately, that hasn't translated into much success this spring, as Manoah's shoulder is still sore, and if this persists, he may begin the 2024 season on the injured list.

To make matters worse, Kevin Gausman has also been experiencing fatigue in his right shoulder, and this could pose a major problem for the Blue Jays, who could ultimately begin 2024 without two of their top starters.

The Blue Jays were a Wild Card team last October but were swept by the Minnesota Twins in the first round. Manoah did not pitch in the Wild Card series.

The right-hander has essentially fallen off a cliff after finishing third in the American League Cy Young race in 2022 and clearly establishing himself as the ace of the Blue Jays' staff.

We'll see if he can bounce back from this setback and return to full strength by the time the 2024 season gets underway.