Blue Jays non-existent rotation depth takes huge hit as Alek Manoah exits with injury

It's no secret that the Toronto Blue Jays' starting rotation has been a weak spot this year - at times statistically but most of the time because of a complete lack of depth. Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Berrios have all been as advertised when it comes to their durability, but the No. 5 spot in the rotation has been quite the question mark.

Alek Manoah, Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez have all made starts this year but Manoah currently occupies the final spot in the rotation. The 26-year-old took the ball on Wednesday night against the White Sox with the Blue Jays eyeing a clean three-game sweep over the AL Central cellar-dwellers.

Manoah threw 24 pitches across 1.2 innings of work before wincing and exiting the outing with an injury. The Blue Jays took to social media (X link) to clarify that he left the game with right elbow discomfort - an ominous diagnosis.

Alek Manoah exits start with ominous elbow discomfort

It's clear that Manoah winced a bit after throwing his final pitch. He immediately gave way to Trevor Richards, who absolutely shoved.

Armed with one of the game's best changeups, Richards, 31, went 3.1 innings of relief, allowing a base hit and a walk but no runs to cross the plate. The pending free agent has been money this year, currently boasting a 3.29 ERA after tonight's appearance.

Manoah lowered his season ERA to 3.70, which is a welcomed development after the disaster that was the 2023 campaign. He's raised his strikeout rate, lowered his walk rate and gotten much, much better at keeping runners off the bases when he's on. Of course, he's had a blow-up start or two this year, but most of what we've seen of him has been encouraging.

Should he need a trip to the injured list, the timing is perfect for someone like Francis, who is on the cusp of a return from the IL. The right-hander could conceivably slot right back into the rotation despite the fact that the Jays like what they've seen out of him as a long reliever.

Should Francis need a bit longer on his rehab stint, Richards makes sense as a multi-inning opener type of starter that's already on hand. Otherwise, Paolo Espino is the only other 40-man option that can start games, but he's got a 4.81 ERA in eight Triple-A starts this year.