Alek Manoah is scheduled to be transferred on option to the Fisher Cats tomorrow, July 2nd to start our 7:05pm game vs. the Portland Sea Dogs!

Welcome to the 603 Alek!https://t.co/hKL1Ejn8BI pic.twitter.com/Lgx8ZA0R1B

— New Hampshire Fisher Cats (@FisherCats) July 1, 2023

Struggling Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah will start for Double-A New Hampshire and face the Portland Sea Dogs on Sunday night in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Manoah went 1-7 with Toronto in 13 starts this season before being sent the minors. In the majors, Manoah had a 6.36 ERA in 58 innings. In his final start for the Blue Jays before being demoted, Manoah got just one out while allowing six runs on seven hits against the Astros on June. 5

He then made one start in the minors, allowing 11 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings pitching for the Blue Jays’ Florida Complex League team.

Manoah was an All-Star in 2022 and finished 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA. The 25-year-old former first-round pick finished third in the AL Cy Young voting last season.

RAYS: Shane McClanahan was put on the 15-day injured list by the Tampa Bay Rays, a day after the 26-year-old left-hander came out of his second straight start due to mid-back tightness.

McClanahan, 11-1 with a 2.53 ERA, left a June 22 outing against Kansas City after 3 2/3 innings and Friday’s start against Seattle after three innings. His IL stint will run through the All-Star break.

ASTROS: Houston left-hander Framber Valdez will miss his scheduled start Sunday against AL West-leading Texas because of right ankle soreness.

Manager Dusty Baker said that Valdez (7-6, 2.49 ERA) sprained his ankle on June 20 in a game against the New York Mets, even though he made his next scheduled start in St. Louis.

“In New York, he sprained his ankle pretty badly. We didn’t know if he was going to start his next start,” Baker said. “Then, against St. Louis, it affected his delivery. So we decided to skip him this time and hopefully he’ll pitch again before the (All-Star) break.”

Baker didn’t say who would pitch in place of Valdez in the third game of the Astros’ four-game series against the Rangers.

BREWERS: Milwaukee designated veteran reliever Matt Bush for assignment, less than 24 hours after he blew a save against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bush entered Friday night’s game trying to preserve a two-run lead only to give up a game-winning three-run homer to Pittsburgh’s Carlos Santana in what became an 8-7 loss.

Bush, acquired in a trade with Texas last August, struggled during his brief time in Milwaukee. The 37-year-old went 0-4 with a 5.94 ERA and three saves in 37 appearances for the Brewers, including an 0-2 mark with a 9.58 ERA in 12 games this season.

PADRES: San Diego placed pitcher Drew Carlton (2-1) on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, one day after he gave up Spencer Steer’s two-run, game-winning home run in the 11th inning of a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds that extended the Padres’ losing streak to a season-high six games.

In a flurry of moves, the Padres optioned left-hander Ray Kerr (0-1) to Triple-A El Paso, recalled right-hander Pedro Avila from El Paso and reinstated left-hander Tom Cosgrove (1-0) from the 15-day injured lost. Cosgrove hasn’t pitched since June 15 because of a left hamstring strain.

Avila’s first appearance will mark his season debut.

HOME RUN DERBY: Tampa Bay Rays All-Star left fielder Randy Arozarena will participate in the 2023 Home Run Derby, Arozarena announced on social media.

This will be Arozarena’s first time in the Derby, and makes him the third Rays player to participate in one, after Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.

“He’s excited about it,” Rays Manager Kevin Cash said. “I can feel very confident in saying he will be very entertaining. I know the fans enjoy watching Randy, I enjoy watching Randy. He’s got that “It” factor, and this is just another level to it.”

Arozarena is the fourth announced participant in the eight-man July 10 contest at T-Mobile Park, joining Mariners’ center fielder Julio Rodríguez, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts.