The Angels have moved on from Alek Manoah.
Los Angeles announced Wednesday that it has released the 28-year-old right-hander, ending a brief stint that began with a one-year, $1.95 million major league deal signed in the offseason. What was framed as a low-risk swing with upside never really got off the ground, and with the second half of the 2026 season now underway, the club has decided to cut ties.
The move came while Manoah was pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake. On X, the Angels Player Development page posted: “The Angels have made the following minor league transaction,” the Angels Player Development page on X announced. “RHP Alek Manoah unconditionally released.”
Manoah appeared in only three games for the Angels this year, all out of the bullpen. Across 7.1 innings in the majors, he posted a 9.82 ERA and a 2.182 WHIP, striking out five.
Once viewed as a Cy Young Award candidate in 2022, Manoah has not been able to recapture that form. His 2024 return with the Toronto Blue Jays showed some promise, as he logged a 3.70 ERA, but a right elbow injury knocked him off course and Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire 2025 season.
With Manoah gone, the Angels are proceeding through 2026 with a rotation of Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers, Grayson Rodriguez, Ryan Johnson, and Walbert Urena. Yusei Kikuchi is expected back from a shoulder injury sometime in August, while Jack Kochanowicz is done for the year after Tommy John surgery in mid-June.
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