Arrianna Toolsie Associate Sports Editor 

Alek Manoah has been missing since May 2024, when he suffered a season-ending injury that required Tommy John surgery. He suffered a Grade 3 Ulnar Collateral Ligament tear (UCL), meaning that he completely tore the ligament in his throwing elbow. Manoah was once a top prospect, an All-Star, and a valuable asset to the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen. After numerous attempts to get him back in shape, the Blue Jays designated him for assignment (DFA) on September 23rd, effectively ending his time with the club and preventing him from ever making an appearance on the mound for the team again at the Rogers Centre, perhaps forever. 

Since being drafted as the 11th pick in the first round in 2019, he has demonstrated passion and determination, making him a viable player for the Blue Jays, with the goal of becoming a long-term starter with a long career on the roster. In his rookie season (2021), he had a lot of success, eventually becoming the American League (AL) Rookie of the Month in October 2021 and making the All-Rookie team at the end of the season. In 2022, his success continued. Manoah won the AL Pitcher of the Month distinction in September 2022 and was named an All-Star. Regardless of his accomplishments, his future was uncertain due to his early career injury. 

Initially, the Blue Jays opted not to cut him from the 40-man roster, instead placing him on the injured list (IL) indefinitely because they had always hoped his rehab would be successful enough to return him to the regular rotation within 14 months. Manoah was recently removed from the injured list and began his deep rehab with the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate. He had shown significant improvement over his last few starts, and his return was looking more likely. Unfortunately, keeping him on the roster as a rehab assignment was not ideal, and with the Blue Jays currently in a strong league position and playoffs looming, they decided to DFA Manoah. This came as a surprise, as they quickly cleared out his locker in the Jays Clubhouse to make room for more active players. Even though he persevered, Manager John Schneider and General Manager Ross Atkins found it difficult to remove him from the roster. Ultimately, this decision will undoubtedly benefit the team in the future. 

Alek Manoah’s resilience and perseverance to recover from Tommy John surgery have not gone unnoticed as he continued to integrate himself into the team throughout the season; however, in the end, it is a business, and the Blue Jays must consider their future with their new incoming stars as well as their financials as they approach the offseason to renew contracts. Where will he go now? Will we ever see him again in the MLB? If anything, his time with the Blue Jays was nothing short of amazing.