Alec Manoa (Toronto Blue Jays), who was demoted to the minor leagues after a late-season slump, will pitch in a simulated game.
“Manoa is scheduled to pitch in 메이저놀이터 a simulated game on Thursday in Dunedin, Florida,” Canadian sports outlet TSN reported on Wednesday. “Manoa is targeting five innings and will face Toronto hitters,” it added.
Manoa, known to Korean fans as “Ryu Hyun-jin,” showed promise in his first year in the big leagues, going 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 games in 2021.
He completed a career-high season last year, going 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts. He finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting and established himself as Toronto’s ace.
However, he has struggled this season, pitching below expectations. In 13 games, he has a 1-7 record. His ERA is 6.36.
His second start of the season, a seven-inning no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals on April 6, was the highlight of his career. In seven starts since May, he’s taken six losses. His ERA has reached a whopping 8.10.
In his last start, on June 6, he gave up six runs in ⅓ of an inning against the Houston Astros.
Manager John Schneider said, “When Manoa is ready, we will call him up to the major leagues. We want him to focus on getting his form back,” said manager John Schneider.