Angels Option Alek Manoah to Triple-A

Los Angeles signed Manoah to a one-year deal during the offseason, hoping he could recapture the strong form he showed in the beginning of his career. But his Angels tenure got off to an inauspicious start, as he began this season on the injured list due to a fingernail issue on his right hand that plagued him during spring training.

The 28-year-old was ultimately reinstated from the IL on May 6 but struggled with his command upon returning. Despite working a scoreless first inning during his season debut against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 8, Manoah walked five batters over five innings against the Cleveland Guardians on May 11. This latest dismal start against the Dodgers proved to be the nail in the coffin for the once-promising starting pitcher.

While Manoah's demotion to Triple-A may be due to the impending season debut for Grayson Rodriguez on Sunday, it is certainly a fair argument to say that Manoah's stint with the Angels could be in question.

Manoah got off to a promising start to his major league career with the aforementioned Blue Jays (who drafted him 11th overall in the 2019 MLB draft), which included a selection to the 2022 All-Star Game. However, he began to struggle so badly in 2023 that Toronto demoted him to their Florida Complex League affiliate. From there, Manoah suffered a slew of injuries that kept him off the field for most of 2024 and all of 2025. He was designated for assignment after the 2025 season.

Manoah will now look to regain his footing in the minor leagues, hoping to return to the big leagues soon.