In 2021, when he made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays, Alek Manoah looked like a star with a 3.22 ERA in 111.2 innings.

He fulfilled that promise last year, when his spectacular 2.24 ERA in 196.2 frames gave him a place among the three AL Cy Young finalists.

Things went south in 2023, though.

South, as in really south.

After conceding a whopping six earned runs and seven hits while getting just one out in his most recent outing against the Houston Astros, the team decided to send him down.

It wasn’t to Triple-A or Double-A, though: the Jays are sending him to the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Blue Jays SP Alek Manoah is being optioned to the Florida Complex League, per the team. pic.twitter.com/IJ1Dquckhz

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 6, 2023

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Evidently, Toronto wants Manoah away from the spotlight at the moment as he works through some issues.

Mainly, he has had severe control issues (he has handed out 6.52 walks per nine innings this year, up from just 2.33 last season) and allowed too much hard contact.

It has all resulted in an ugly 6.36 ERA in 58 frames in the current campaign.

Manoah is much, much better than that, and if there is no injury, he should be able to bounce back eventually as the team and the pitcher spot what’s wrong.

The Blue Jays need the best version of Manoah if they are going to make a deep playoff push this year.

There are other really talented pitchers on the staff but Manoah, when he is on, is probably the best of the bunch.

There is no word on how long he will stay in the Complex League, but no matter where he is, his priority should be getting himself right.

The post Blue Jays Make A Shocking Decision On Alek Manoah appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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After seemingly rediscovering their winning ways in the month of May, the St. Louis Cardinals have fallen flat to start June.

The team has lost four consecutive games and are 4-9 in their last 13 games.

As such, they have fallen back to the bottom of the National League with a record of 25-36.

Things looked to be improving after four consecutive series wins against the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, they have been in a tailspin since then.

The offense is largely to blame for their misfortunes lately.

On Twitter, Cardinals analyst Brandon Kiley posted some distressing numbers that sum up just how poorly the team has performed.

The #STLCards are 4-9 in their last 13 games. Twelve of those 13 games have been played against CIN (27-33), CLE (27-32), KC (18-42) & PIT (32-27).

Some notable OPS numbers in that stretch:
Nolan Arenado – .620
Nolan Gorman – .562
Tommy Edman – .554
Willson Contreras – .297

— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) June 6, 2023

Much of their offensive struggles have to do with the fact that Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado have both been slumping as of late.

In the Cardinals’ recent 13-game stretch, Arenado has posted a miserable .620 OPS.

Contreras has an OPS of .297 since the beginning of the stretch.

Nolan Gorman and Tommy Edman have OPS marks of .562 and .554, respectively.

These are certainly some concerning stats for the Cardinals, who were expected to have a solid offense at the beginning of the season.

But that offense is nowhere to be found at the moment.

Even more alarming is the fact that 12 of those 13 games came against the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates are the only team in that group with a winning record, and they now lead St. Louis by eight games in the NL Central.

The post Cardinals Analyst Highlights The Team’s Current Spiral appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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There are a number of former NBA stars who are playing basketball overseas now, including Dwight Howard.

Howard, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers toward the end of his career, has found great success playing basketball in Taiwan.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t count out the possibility of re-entering the league.

According to NBA reporter and Sacramento Kings insider Mark Haynes, Howard recently said, “I’m not retired from the NBA just yet, and I would love to help the Sacramento Kings contend for a title.”

Dwight Howard on possibly returning to the NBA next season:

“I’m not retired from the NBA just yet, and I would love to help the Sacramento Kings contend for a title.”

Should Sacramento sign him?

Via. @markhaynesnba pic.twitter.com/Y4QKVXT2Up

— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) June 6, 2023

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This isn’t the only comment that Howard has made about the league since leaving the US.

He has actually generated a lot of buzz for comments about the playoffs, particular players, and the state of the league.

However, this is his most direct comment about him possibly playing again in the Association.

He last played for the Lakers in 2021-22, although he was only on the floor about 16 minutes a game and averaged 6.2 points.

When the Lakers didn’t re-sign him, he decided to try his luck overseas and has done very well for himself.

The idea of him returning to the Kings, or any team, isn’t too far-fetched.

But it’s also not very likely as he is 37 years old and has become injury-prone over the years.

Even on a veteran’s minimum contract, it likely wouldn’t be worth it for most teams.

The pressure and workload in Taiwan aren’t as hard on Howard, allowing him to play frequently and produce a lot of points.

But would that be the case if he came back to the NBA?

No matter what happens, one thing is clear: Howard has become an expert at creating the sort of quotes that constantly keeps him in the headlines.

The post Dwight Howard Talks About Possible Return To The NBA appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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