Blue Jays designate Manoah for assignment, reinstate Santander

The Toronto Blue Jays designated right-hander Alek Manoah for assignment, the team announced Tuesday.

"These are always tough decisions," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said, according to the Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. "This just came down to a roster crunch and us feeling like (it was) the best decision to hold depth and support for this staff as we push forward in very important weeks."

Toronto also reinstated outfielder Anthony Santander from the 60-day injured list and placed first baseman Ty France on the IL with left oblique inflammation in corresponding moves.

Santander will be active for Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox.

Manoah hasn't pitched in the majors since May 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old appeared in 10 minor-league games this season, posting a 3.96 ERA and 8.1 K/9 in 38 2/3 innings across four levels.

Manoah was picked 11th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2019 draft. He finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 and third in AL Cy Young voting during his lone All-Star campaign in 2022.

Santander has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since May 29.

The 30-year-old switch-hitter posted a .577 OPS with six home runs and 18 RBIs across 50 games during his first campaign with the Blue Jays. He signed a five-year, $92.5-million deal with the team in January.

France, meanwhile, slashed .277/.320/.372 with six doubles and eight RBIs in 103 plate appearances for Toronto after being acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline.