Alek Manoah says his 2022 mechanics are back
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah says his 2022 mechanics are back to form.
The 26-year-old right-handed pitcher has gone from the highs of striking out the side in the MLB All-Star Game and being a Cy Young finalist in 2022, to the lows of having one of the worst ERAs of any qualified pitcher in the Major Leagues before being optioned to the minors in 2023.
Then, in 2024, when things were looking up, Manoah experienced a pinching sensation in his right elbow.
It was confirmed that he required surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament and on June 18, 2024, he underwent a hybrid Tommy John procedure, replacing the ligament and anchoring the new one with an internal brace suture.
Nearly seven months later, Manoah was in good spirits as he joined the Toronto Star's Mike Wilner on the Deep Left Field podcast.
Before being declared out for the season, the six-foot-six right-hander pitched to a 3.70 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and eight walks over 24.1 innings.
The Homestead, Fla., native finished fourth in the MLB with a 2.24 ERA in 2022, but that number ballooned to 5.87 in 2023 amid struggles with control - his 14.2 per cent walk rate was the third highest in the majors.
Friend and former Blue Jay teammate of Manoah's, Hyun-jin Ryu, faced a similar return timeline with the same injury in 2022-23.
He suffered the torn ligament on June 2, 2022, underwent a rigorous 14-month rehab, and returned to be an important part of Toronto's pitching staff down the stretch.
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SOURCE: Toronto Star | Sportsnet | MLB.com
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