Alek Manoah’s comeback season with Blue Jays officially over due to injury

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah's season has come to a disappointing end.

Manoah will undergo surgery to repair his right ulnar collateral ligament, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before Toronto's game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday.

Manoah exited a game with elbow discomfort after 1 2/3 innings on May 29 in Chicago. An MRI revealed a UCL sprain, which landed Manoah on the 15-day injured list.

The 26-year-old pitcher is set to have surgery with Dr. Keith Meister, but the exact procedure has not yet been determined. There is a possibility of Tommy John surgery or an internal brace, which could lead to quicker recovery. The procedure will depend on the severity of the ligament damage. Regardless, Manoah is expected to miss the rest of the 2024 season.

Alek Manoah's comeback season comes to a tragic end

Manoah was attempting his way back into a prominent role in the Blue Jays' rotation after a disastrous 2023 season.

Not too long ago, Manoah seemed ready to ascend to the upper echelon of pitchers in Major League Baseball. The former ace took the league by storm in 2022, showcasing an arsenal of pitches and a kacn for generating strikeouts. He finished third in American League Cy Young voting with a 2.24 ERA in 196.2 innings.

The stellar season resulted in high expectations for Manoah's future, but his 2023 campaign proved to be a disaster from the moment he stepped on the mound. With each pitch, things only got worse. Manoah posted a 6.36 ERA and 42 walks through his first 13 starts and won just one game before the Blue Jays demoted him to the Florida Complex League in June. He was brought back to the Majors a month later, but he started just six more games before being optioned to AAA Buffalo in August. The decision caused friction between the Manoah and the club, and the pitcher was officially shut down for the year in September.

Manoah generated buzz in February when he reported for official team workouts with a fitter physique and a fresh perspective. Monoah's 2024 season was pivotal for his future. "He knows exactly what's on the table," Schneider said at the time.

Manoah began the 2024 season on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, but he seemed to be turning the corner before his injury. In his five starts, he posted a 3.70 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.

Now, the former ace will have to focus on recovery and rehab before he has another chance to replicate his 2022 season.

The Blue Jays currently hold a 30-32 record, which puts them in last place in the AL East.