Former WVU Baseball pitcher Alek Manoah recently returned to the MLB with the Los Angeles Angels, but is now headed back to the minor leagues after three appearances. Read more: Former WVU pitcher Alek Manoah returning to minor leagues.
The Angels announced Sunday that they had optioned Manoah to their Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees.
The move comes after Manoah allowed eight earned runs, six hits and three walks in just 1.1 innings Saturday as a reliever against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers would go on to win the game 15-2.
Steady start in return
While Manoah’s third appearance with the Angels turned into a disaster quickly, the former Mountaineer was not off to a bad start in his other two appearances.
In his first game with the Angels on May 8th, Manoah relief pitched in the bottom of the eighth against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays. He allowed no runs, no hits and one strikeout against the three batters he faced.
Despite Manoah’s strong inning, the Angels would be shut out by the Blue Jays 2-0 in his return.
Manoah appeared again on May 11th against the Cleveland Guardians. He once again entered the game in relief, pitching five total innings.
Manoah would put together another solid stat line against the Guardians, allowing no runs, two hits and five walks. However, the Guardians would win 7-2.
Why a return to the minors may not be so bad
While returning to the minors may not appear ideal, it’s a great opportunity for Manoah to rejuvenate. After all, Manoah’s last appearance in the MLB was almost two years ago for the Blue Jays.
In the 2024 season with the Blue Jays, Manoah only made 5 appearances before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair the UCL in his throwing elbow.
Manoah would make his return to baseball towards the end of the 2025 season, playing for the Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. In seven appearances, he recorded 30 strikeouts with a 2.97 earned run average.
Despite the promising rehab assignment, the Blue Jays decided to designate Manoah for assignment 12 days after his return, ending his six-year stint in the Blue Jays organization.
The Atlanta Braves would claim Manoah off waivers, but with the 2025 season near its end, he would not appear for the Braves or any of its affiliates. He became a free agent following the 2025 season.
Benefits, continued
Before making his first appearance with the Angels, Manoah started the 2026 season with the Angels’ Single-A affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
He made one appearance with the Quakes, allowing five earned runs and six hits, and recorded only two strikeouts.
Injuries have unfortunately made it so that Manoah has seen a lot of time in the minor leagues in recent years. His stint in Buffalo proved that he could utilize his time in the minors to redevelop his game.
Manoah did not spend too much time on the Quakes, and his one outing was not great. Perhaps he was called back up at the wrong time and needed to keep playing minor league ball until he proved he was ready for a return.
Playing in Triple-A for the Bees will give Manoah more time to prove himself. He’ll be playing at a level that is still relatively high therefore putting him in a position to be more prepared should he return to the Angels.
Manoah has yet to make an appearance for the Bees since being optioned there.
More on Manoah
Manoah played for West Virginia for three seasons. He committed to the Mountaineers during his senior season at South Dade High School in Homestead, Florida.
In his time with the Mountaineers, he received Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team honors in 2017. Manoah also snagged preseason All-American and All-Big 12 Conference First Team honors in 2019.
Manoah was unanimously named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2019.
Related: Expectations as bright as the Arizona sun for No. 2 seed WVU
The Blue Jays selected Manoah with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft. He was the first West Virginia player to be selected in the first round since Chris Enochs was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 11th overall pick in 1997.
With the Blue Jays, Manoah was an All-Star in 2022. He was also named to the All-MLB First Team in 2022.
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