Report: Blue Jays promoting pitching prospect Alek Manoah
The Toronto Blue Jays are promoting pitching prospect Alek Manoah to start Wednesday against the New York Yankees, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Toronto selected Manoah 11th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft. The 23-year-old righty owns a 0.50 ERA and 2.19 FIP in 18 innings pitched over three Triple-A starts this season.
The West Virginia product entered the season as the Blue Jays' No. 5 prospect and their third-ranked pitcher behind Nate Pearson (No. 1) and Simeon Woods Richardson (No. 4).
Manoah is not on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster, and Toronto will need to make a corresponding roster move.
The Yankees (28-19) open a three-game homestand against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, with Steven Matz facing Corey Kluber. Manoah will be scheduled to duel Domingo German.
Toronto's rotation ranks 28th in WAR this season, according to FanGraphs, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs. The team's starters have combined for a 4.44 ERA and 4.54 FIP in 2021.
The Blue Jays are in the midst of a six-game skid that has pushed them to 23-23 and fourth in the AL East.
New York's offense, meanwhile, ranks 13th in MLB with a 99 wRC+ against right-handers this season, according to FanGraphs. The Yankees could welcome Giancarlo Stanton back from the injured list as early as Tuesday; the slugger has been sidelined since May 14 with a strained quad.