Blue Jays manager announces brutal injury news on starting pitcher

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah is done for the season.

Manoah will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his injured right UCL, according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider. It’s reportedly still unclear whether Manoah will undergo full Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure.

Manoah suffered the injury during a May 29 start against the Chicago White Sox. The 26-year-old pitched just 1.2 innings before asking to be subbed out. Manoah was diagnosed with a sprain in his UCL ligament days later.

Manoah looked like an ace for the Blue Jays during the 2022 campaign. He posted a stellar ERA of 2.24 with 180 strikeouts and a 0.992 WHIP across 31 starts. Manoah earned his first All-Star nod and finished third in Cy Young Award voting before Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease.

However, Manoah had a nightmarish 2023. The right-hander had a bloated ERA of 5.87 across 19 starts and was even sent down to the minors later in the season.

Manoah appeared to be trending in the right direction this season. Manoah gave up six earned runs during his May 5 season debut against the Washington Nationals. But Manoah followed that up with back-to-back seven-inning shutouts. In five starts this season, Manoah posted an ERA of 3.70 with a 1.027 WHIP.