Alek Manoah Returns to MLB Action With Angels After 688 Days, Velocity Questions Loom

Alek Manoah is back. The Angels activated the right-hander Wednesday prior to their series finale against the White Sox, ending a stint that stretches back to Tommy John surgery on June 17, 2024 — his last MLB appearance coming May 29 of that year. Manoah joins the bullpen as a long reliever, slotting in after lefty Sam Aldegheri was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Manager Kurt Suzuki was direct about the need: the Angels need an arm, and Manoah is it — at least for now.

The context matters here. Manoah came into this offseason on a prove-it deal — one year, $1.95 million — after his Toronto tenure collapsed under injuries and mechanical regression. He won a rotation spot battle in Spring Training before a freak injury, losing the nail on his right middle finger in a March 17 outing, pushed him back to the IL to open the year. His one rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday was messy: six runs (five earned) over 4 1/3 innings, though he did throw 87 pitches, which gave the Angels confidence he could handle a multi-inning load out of the pen.

The velocity number is the one to watch. Manoah sat 93-94 mph with the Blue Jays in his 2022 All-Star season — the year he posted a 2.24 ERA over 196 2/3 innings, one of the better single-season performances in the AL. His rehab outing had his fastball in the 90-91 mph range. That's a meaningful drop for a pitcher who was never a swing-and-miss artist to begin with; Manoah has always relied on deception, command, and a plus changeup. At reduced velocity, the margin for error tightens considerably. Suzuki acknowledged the bullpen role is a starting point, with a reevaluation coming — particularly relevant given Yusei Kikuchi is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation and the rotation has a hole to fill.

For the Angels' team totals, Manoah's presence as a long reliever offers modest but real stabilization value. Los Angeles has been burning through their pen early, and an arm capable of eating four-plus innings in a blowout or bridge game keeps the high-leverage relievers fresher. That tilts slightly toward keeping Angels team totals from ballooning in games where their starter exits early — a small but trackable edge for under bettors in matchups where Manoah profiles as the bulk guy. On the strikeout prop side, don't expect premium numbers: Manoah's career K/9 is solid but not elite, and with the velocity dip, expecting double-digit punch-out nights would be wishful. If individual K props get posted for Manoah in any eventual starting role, the under is the lean until he proves the swing-and-miss is still there.

Manoah's own framing — the lion-and-gazelle speech, the 688-days countdown — signals someone hungry to re-establish himself, not someone just collecting a paycheck. That competitive mentality is real, and this is a low-cost, high-upside reclamation bet for Anaheim. But bettors should treat him as a work in progress. The Angels' rotation picture is murky, his stuff is down, and the rehab outing was not encouraging from a results standpoint. Monitor his first MLB appearance closely. If the velocity ticks back toward 92-93 and the changeup has its old fade, the calculus changes fast.