The Los Angeles Angels have sent pitcher Alek Manoah to their Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City following a dismal performance against the Dodgers on Saturday. The club announced the move on Sunday, a day after Manoah was shelled, surrendering six hits and eight earned runs in just 1.1 innings. The Dodgers ultimately routed the Angels by a lopsided score of 15-2.
Manoah’s outing saw his fastball velocity dip to an average of 84.6 m.p.h., a noticeable drop from his usual 87.9 m.p.h. This latest setback comes shortly after his reinstatement from the injured list on May 6, where he had been sidelined with a finger contusion. The move to the minors also clears a roster spot for Grayson Rodriguez, who is returning from the injured list to pitch on Sunday.
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The right-hander’s brief stint back in the majors has been a struggle. After going unscored upon in his first two appearances, Manoah gave up a significant chunk of runs in Saturday's game. Across three total appearances for the Angels this season, he recorded a 5:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 7.1 innings pitched.
This demotion marks another difficult chapter for Manoah, a former Toronto Blue Jays hurler whose career has been described as chaotic in recent seasons. During his Saturday appearance, he faced Shohei Ohtani, who managed a double and a triple against him. He was one of the few Angels pitchers to allow the Dodgers to score, along with Luis Soriano. The Angels, in an attempt to avoid a sweep, were set to play the final game of their series against the Dodgers on Sunday.
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