{"id":658322,"date":"2026-05-09T14:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T14:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/658322\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T14:36:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T14:36:08","slug":"manoahs-fresh-start-opens-with-storybook-return-against-blue-jays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/658322\/","title":{"rendered":"Manoah’s fresh start opens with storybook return against Blue Jays"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014 Alek Manoah<\/a> sat down in front of a group of reporters in the visiting dugout at Rogers Centre on Friday and was asked what it felt like being on the other side of the diamond.<\/p>\n

“It’s a little different,” Manoah replied. “It’s a little weird. Never even thought of what the visitor side would look like.”<\/p>\n

This field, of course, is where Manoah rose to fame as an all-star pitcher with a bright future. And while injuries and inconsistencies spun his career in a completely different direction, the right-hander said it’s the good times that outweigh the bad in his mind.<\/p>\n

“It goes to champagne showers in that clubhouse and a lot of good memories with that rotation and all those guys,” said Manoah. “And, obviously, toward the end, some of the injuries and some of the stuff that happened, but a lot of good times.”<\/p>\n

Manoah, wearing a relaxed smile and a red Los Angeles Angels<\/a> hat, was activated from the injured list this week after dealing with a fingernail issue on his right hand since spring training. And hours after his conversation with media, Manoah embarked on the first meaningful steps of what\u2019s become his fresh start.<\/p>\n

Making his first appearance in a major-league game since May 29, 2024, Manoah retired all three hitters he faced during a scoreless eighth inning in the Angels\u2019 2-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the 28-year-old\u2019s MLB return timing up with a visit to Toronto is befitting of a storybook, it wasn\u2019t appreciated as much by the many fans in attendance who peppered Manoah with loud boos upon his entrance from the bullpen.<\/p>\n

Perhaps that speaks to Manoah\u2019s turbulent tenure in Toronto. A first-round pick (11th overall) in 2019, the right-hander experienced incredible highs \u2014 a third-place finish in AL Cy Young voting and a Game 1 playoff start in 2022 \u2014 but also terrible lows \u2014 a demotion to the minors, a rumoured disagreement with the front office, multiple injuries and Tommy John surgery in 2024.<\/p>\n

As he was rehabbing in triple-A last September, the Blue Jays designated Manoah for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Anthony Santander. He was selected off waivers by the Braves before being granted free agency and signing a one-year, $1.95-million deal with the Angels.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand the business side of it and where I was in my rehab and all that stuff,\u201d Manoah said about the Blue Jays\u2019 decision to cut him. \u201cAnd when you’re trying to go for a World Series, roster spots are limited, and you need guys who are there. Obviously, Santander was more important than me at that point and I understand the business decision of it. And, you know, it is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manoah said he\u2019s excited to join what he considers a strong Angels clubhouse that features several talented players. And while he\u2019s looking ahead, the right-hander said there was plenty to be proud of during his time with the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I had a pretty big impact on the city,\u201d said Manoah. \u201cA lot of the kids that grew up in this city, being able to give back to them, being able to be a role model and just being a good teammate, being able to make some friendships and relationships that will last forever. That\u2019s what I look back on the most.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won a lot of ball games, too, so that was always fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Manoah was at his best, he was a fiery force on the mound who combined swagger with impressive strike-throwing ability. He tallied 16 wins along with a 2.24 ERA over 196.2 innings and 6.0 wins above replacement in 2022, numbers you could \u201cwish and dream on,\u201d according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there’s anyone in the baseball industry that appreciates his competitiveness, it’s probably me and [pitching coach] Pete [Walker],\u201d Schneider said. \u201cHe did a lot of really good things for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blue Jays\u2019 right-hander Kevin Gausman also looked back with wonder at prime Manoah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you would have told me that he would have struggled the way he did after the season he had in his first full year, I wouldn’t have believed it,\u201d Gausman said. \u201cHe finished third in Cy Young voting, and any other year, he probably would have won it. To throw up a 2.24 ERA and close to 200 innings in the AL East is just dominant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gausman and Manoah have remained close friends and the veteran is quick to mention that he\u2019s witnessed his former teammate grow up. Manoah barely had a girlfriend when they first met and now, he\u2019s got a wife and a one-year-old son, joked Gausman.<\/p>\n

Through all that, Gausman has maintained a deep level of respect for Manoah.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe kind of gets a bad rep for maybe his intensity on the mound, but off the mound he’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,\u201d said Gausman. \u201cHe really cares about guys and their families and really gets to know their kids. He’s just a really good person so you wish success on those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

During their many conversations over the years, Gausman told Manoah about his own winding career path and how he\u2019s had to reinvent himself on the mound. That\u2019s what Manoah will need to do now. He\u2019s refined his changeup, regained some of his lost velocity and said he hasn\u2019t felt this healthy since 2022.<\/p>\n

The next step is simply taking another step forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone’s path is different,\u201d said Gausman. \u201cYou’re gonna get humbled at some point in this game. It doesn’t matter who you are. For some guys it doesn’t happen until they’re in their sixth or seventh year in the big leagues and some guys it happens right away.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat really matters is how they go about it,\u201d added the veteran. \u201cDo you come out of it better and stronger or do you maybe not even come back? And so, that’s why I’m happy that he’s here. I’m happy that he’s back and healthy and pitching in the big leagues.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TORONTO \u2014 Alek Manoah sat down in front of a group of reporters in the visiting dugout at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":658323,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-658322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=658322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=658322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}