Alek Manoah

12. März 2026

Rotation slot may be in jeopardy

Manoah may not be a lock for the Angels' Opening Day rotation, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, after the veteran hurler allowed four runs on eights hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings in a Cactus League start against the White Sox on Wednesday.

Analyse

Manoah signed with the Angels on a one-year, $1.95 million contract in early December, and he still has minor-league options remaining, so it's far from certain he'll break camp with the big club. Manager Kurt Suzuki said early in camp that Manoah would have to earn his spot in the rotation, and the hurler made a strong case early, beginning the spring slate with five scoreless frames despite an ominous 1:3 K:BB. Things haven't gone well for Manoah since, as he's yielded nine runs and posted a 7:7 K:BB across 6.1 frames over his past two outings. Suzuki said following Wednesday's game that Manoah is "still definitely in the mix" for the team's fifth rotation spot, but how he fares in his final starts this spring could go a long way to determining whether he makes the cut. Should Manoah begin the campaign in the minors or the bullpen, George Klassen and Jack Kochanowicz are candidates to step into the rotation.