Prized pitching prospect Alek Manoah set to make first start for Blue Jays vs Yankees

NEW YORK – Top Blue Jays pitching prospect Alek Manoah will make his major-league debut on Wednesday night when he starts for Toronto against the New York Yankees.

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo confirmed Manoah would be called up before Tuesday’s series opener at Yankee Stadium.

Manoah is 3-0 with a 0.50 ERA in his first three starts at the triple-A level with the Buffalo Bisons this year. He has gone six innings in each start, striking out 27 and walking three.

The Blue Jays (23-23) had lost six in a row, all against division rivals, heading into Tuesday night’s game.

Outside of Hyun Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray, the Blue Jays have struggled to find consistency from their starting staff. The Toronto bullpen, a major strength in April, has struggled recently while trying to work more innings.

The 23-year-old Manoah, picked 11th overall in the 2019 draft out of West Virginia University, didn’t play at all in 2020 with the minor-league season cancelled because of COVID-19. His only previous six minor-league starts came with class-A Vancouver in 2019 when he went 0-1 with a 2.65 ERA.

“He deserves a chance to come pitch in the big leagues … He earned it,” Montoyo said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2021.