Manoah to begin rehab assignment, Burr lands on 60-day IL

WEST SACRAMENTO -- Before the Blue Jays’ road series opener against the Athletics in June 2024, manager John Schneider delivered bad news: Pitcher Alek Manoah would need season-ending surgery to repair a torn UCL.

Over a year later, with Toronto again ready to start a road set against the A’s, Schneider had much happier news: Manoah is on his way back.

The right-hander will begin a rehab assignment Monday with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Blue Jays, Schneider said. Manoah is scheduled to pitch at least two innings for Toronto’s FCL squad, which takes on the FCL Tigers at noon ET at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.

That’s the plan, anyway. If Manoah is able to keep his pitch count low while remaining fresh on the mound, his outing could be even longer. At this point, whether he can get hitters out isn’t a concern.

“First one, I just kind of want to see him get hot, go through his normal routine and pitch,” Schneider said Friday. “No care whatsoever about results when he’s starting.”

It will be the first of several rehab outings for Manoah, whose 30-day rehab clock will start with his first FCL appearance on Monday. Schneider said the righty will need “a normal Spring Training buildup” at the very least, estimating five or six rehab games at minimum.

“If he needs more, he needs more,” Schneider said. “I think we’re going to kind of gauge it after each one and see how he’s feeling.”

Manoah had a 3.70 ERA in five starts in 2024, including a 1 2/3-inning outing against the White Sox in Chicago on May 29 in which he tore his right UCL. He had Tommy John surgery on June 17 with Dr. Keith Meister.

Now, the right-hander is set for his first game action in nearly 13 months. He’ll likely be rusty at first from the long layoff, but Manoah is just three years removed from a stellar 2022 season when he had a 2.24 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 31 starts. That year, he finished third in American League Cy Young voting and made the AL All-Star team.

With a solid rotation anchored by Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt, plus a strong year from lefty Eric Lauer, the Blue Jays aren’t in dire need of starting pitching help. But with Max Scherzer dealing with a recurring thumb issue and Bowden Francis on the injured list after struggling in 2025, Toronto would certainly take anything it can get from Manoah.

That’s not going to happen right away, of course. Manoah is still slated to return in mid-to-late August, providing his rehab starts go well. Schneider acknowledged it could be longer if Manoah seems to need more time in the Minors.

“It just depends on how he feels and how he’s pitching,” Schneider said.

Also Friday, the Blue Jays placed righty reliever Ryan Burr on the 60-day injured list with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Burr left his outing Wednesday against the White Sox in Chicago with shoulder pain and returned to Toronto for an MRI.

The news wasn’t good. Schneider said the club would pass Burr’s MRI results on to several doctors, including Meister and Neal ElAttrache, to determine the best course of action.

“I don’t know if it’s [a] shutdown, I don’t know if it’s surgery, but there was some stuff going on with his shoulder,” Schneider said.

On Wednesday, Burr was making just his second appearance of the season after starting 2025 on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. His latest shoulder issue will sideline him until at least Sept. 9 and possibly longer.

Right-hander Tommy Nance was called up from Triple-A Buffalo to take Burr’s spot on the roster. Nance was available to pitch in Friday’s series opener at Sutter Health Park.