CHICAGO — Alec Manuah is slated to return to the Blue Jays’ rotation after being sent to the minors last month because he was struggling, manager John Schneider said Tuesday before the Blue Jays’ 4-3 win over the White Sox.
Manoah is scheduled to start Friday in Detroit, and All-Star Kevin Gausman will push his trip back a day.
A first-time All-Star and AL Cy Young Award finalist last year, he is 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA in 13 starts after going 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts last season. The 25-year-old right fielder was sent down to the Blue Jays’ Florida Complex League squad on June 6 after he was unable to get out of the first inning against the Houston Astros the day before.
“We’ve always said there’s a very good checklist of things we want to see,” Schneider said. “Slight tweak mechanically.
“We liked what we saw in terms of how it compares to last year as opposed to the beginning of this year. It’s in the area.”
On Sunday, Manoah scored 10 and allowed one run over five innings for Double-A New Hampshire against Portland.
Schneider said he will likely join the squad on Wednesday.
“He just wants to win, talking to him all the time, he just wants to be a part of it, and he was frustrated that he didn’t give our team a chance to win every time,” Schneider said. “But he wants to be here through the ups and downs.” _
