After making his season-opening MLB start, Alek Manoah said the following:.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah (6) takes a break during a Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports interview in Dunedin, Florida, USA, on February 19, 2024.
In the narrative:

After throwing six hits and four walks in 4.0 innings, Manoah gave up seven runs (six earned). After 92 pitches, he did manage to strike out six.

Manoah has had an incredible past two and a half years. Manoah was one of baseball’s top pitchers in 2022; he made the All-Star Game and placed third in the American League Cy Young vote. In the AL Wild Card series against Seattle, he also started Game 1 of the playoffs that year.

Still, Manoah’s situation collapsed in 2023. He only went 3–9 and twice returned to the minor levels, unable to adapt to the new pitch calendar. Moreover, he suffered a shoulder injury during this year’s spring training and persevered through several minor league rehab stints before being granted this opportunity on Sunday.

Manoah told reporters after the game that he needed to adjust mentally. As stated on MLB.com:

Manoah refuted the notion that it’s a control issue. Simply put, I was attempting to project myself onto the periphery and appear excessively refined. Recognizing that I’m not Greg Maddux is important. I will not become Greg Maddux. I have an excellent fastball life. Just step outside and have faith in it; that’s all.

Overall, Manoah showed promise, according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider, and he will be back in the starting lineup. Due to a back problem, Yariel Rodriguez, who had been in the rotation, is out.