Toronto Blue Jays' Alek Manoah Leaves With Elbow Injury, Set to Undergo MRI

Alek Manoah suffered an elbow injury during Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox, bringing the Toronto Blue Jays righty's comeback attempt to a screeching halt.

May 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah (6) leaves the game against the Chicago White Sox due to injury during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Starting pitcher Alek Manoah left Wednesday's game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox with right elbow discomfort.

Manoah made it through 1.2 scoreless innings before he threw a 91 mile-per-hour slider and hopped off the mound in pain. The Blue Jays' training staff and manager John Schneider both came out to check on Manoah, who was ultimately pulled and relieved by Trevor Richards.

During his postgame media availability, Manoah said he felt a "pinchy" sensation on his final pitch.

“I feel...it sucks," Manoah said, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. "I have my faith in god. I’ve dealt with a lot of shit this past year to get back to this point."

Nothing obvious as to what happened. But there wasn't much discussion on the mound before Alek Manoah walked off. Trevor Richards taking over. pic.twitter.com/YMKziknNH7

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) May 30, 2024

Manoah also admitted to feeling some elbow discomfort during his last appearance against the Detroit Tigers on May 24, but he said the pain wasn't present when he tested himself during an ensuing bullpen session.

Watching any pitcher leave with an elbow injury is certainly cause for concern, but it could be especially detrimental to Manoah.

After thriving as a rookie in 2021 and finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, Manoah's production fell off a cliff in 2023. He was eventually sent down to the minors, getting injections in his throwing shoulder towards the end of the season.

Manoah had to go through an extended Spring Training in 2024 – plus a minor league rehab assignment – in order to get back up to speed and fix his mechanics. And through it all, he still looked wildly inconsistent.

Between 2023 and 2024, Manoah went 0-3 with a 10.21 ERA in seven minor league starts.

When Manoah finally got called back up to the big leagues for his season debut on May 5, he gave up six earned runs in 4.0 innings against the Washington Nationals. He also allowed four earned and six total runs against the Tigers on May 24.

In the interim, though, Manoah posted back-to-back starts of 7.0 scoreless innings. He seemed to be on pace for a similar kind of outing Wednesday, prior to his injury.

Manoah is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.027 WHIP and 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings so far this season.

It remains to be seen how much time the 26-year-old former All-Star will need to miss with this elbow injury, or if any additional treatment is required. Manoah is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, which should paint a more clear picture on his path forward.

With rookies Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez both on the injured list and top prospect Ricky Tiedemann still dealing with an elbow injury of his own, the Blue Jays may have to look elsewhere to find a new No. 5 starter in Manoah's absence.

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