Manaea, who allowed six earned runs on six hits while recording two strikeouts over 1.2 innings in a Cactus League loss to the Brewers on Monday, was nevertheless encouraged by the ongoing refinement of his slider, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. ""It was good. I was pretty happy with it," Manaea said of the movement of his slider. "I was able to control it a little bit. Especially the first inning, it was good. I felt like I threw some really good ones right off my fingertips. I was really happy with it, movement-wise. Not so much location-wise."

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw has been diligently working on sharpening up his slider this offseason and in camp thus far, even getting some one-on-one work in with the legendary Randy Johnson during the Big Unit's recent visit to spring training. Gallegos reports that most of Manaea's problems Monday stemmed from fastballs that were intended to serve as inside pitches and were instead essentially grooved down the middle of the plate. A pair of those resulted in two-run home runs from Orlando Arcia and Lucas Erceg, and the fact Manaea also threw 39 pitches overall may have led to some fatigue. The 28-year-old will look to bounce back in his next Cactus League start, which will likely come toward the end of the week or on the weekend.

Manaea agreed to a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the A's on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

EDGE Analysis

This was the big lefty's second of four years as an arbitration-eligible player. He had a successful return from injury late in 2019 (1.21 ERA, 0.78 WHIP) and will look to build back up his innings in 2020.

Manaea will start in the American League Wild Card Game against the Rays on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw quickly returned to form after returning from left shoulder surgery that left him sidelined since September 2018, and will now get the chance to help Oakland advance in its sudden-death contest against the Rays. In five starts in 2019, Manaea carries a 4-0 record with an ERA of 1.21 with a 0.78 WHIP. Wednesday's matchup against the Rays should be favorable given the large number of lefties in Tampa's lineup.

Manaea may be the likeliest candidate to start the American League Wild Card Game against the Rays on Wednesday due to both his performance since coming off the injured list and Tampa's left-handed-heavy lineup, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Mike Fiers is considered the other realistic alternative for the one-game playoff, and he posted a 1-0 record, 2.25 ERA and .171 BAA across 12.0 innings over two starts versus the Rays this season. However, Manaea has been positively dominant over his five starts since making his delayed season debut, generating a 4-0 record, 1.21 ERA and 30:7 K:BB across 29.2 innings. The Rays have also been about average hitting against southpaws, posting a .256/.326/.422 collective line with a .319 wOBA versus that handedness on the season while striking out at a 25.6 percent clip. Manager Bob Melvin is expected to announce his decision within the next couple of days, and if Manaea does get the call, he'll be working on a solid five days' rest.

Manaea (4-0) earned the win against Seattle on Thursday, pitching six innings and giving up one run on four hits and no walks while striking out five.

EDGE Analysis

Manaea was in complete control throughout the quality start, tossing 54 of 82 pitches for strikes while yielding only one run in six innings. The southpaw has won each of his last four outings and now carries a pristine 1.21 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in five starts this season. Despite missing most of 2019 with an injured shoulder, Manaea has pitched well enough since his return to merit serious consideration for a start in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday, should Oakland qualify.

Manaea (3-0) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four over 5.2 innings. He earned the win in a blowout against the Rangers.

EDGE Analysis

Manaea had plenty of run support from the get-go, as the Athletics plated nine runs in the first two innings. Only solo shots by Elvis Andrus and Danny Santana tarnished Manaea's performance. The southpaw has been excellent in 23.2 innings since returning from a shoulder injury, posting a 1.14 ERA and 0.80 WHIP while whiffing 25 batters. Expect Manaea to start against the Mariners on Friday in his regular-season finale.

Manaea (2-0) gave up three hits and one walk while striking out six through six scoreless innings to take the win over the Rangers on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Manaea had 11 swinging strikes and 19 called strikes in another electric performance to earn his second win. The 27-year-old has been great since being activated with a 0.50 ERA and a 21:6 K:BB through three starts this season. Manaea is scheduled to make his next start Sunday against the Rangers at RingCentral Coliseum.

Manaea (1-0) allowed one run on two hits and two walks over seven innings Sunday, striking out 10 and earning the win over Detroit.

EDGE Analysis

The lone run to score on Manaea came in the form of a fifth-inning solo shot by Christin Stewart. The 27-year-old owns a 0.75 ERA and 15:5 K:BB in his first two starts after rehabbing from shoulder surgery. He should make his next start sometime next weekend against the Rangers in Texas.

Manaea is scheduled to start Sunday against the Tigers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manaea looked good in his 2019 big-league debut last Sunday, holding the Yankees to one hit and three walks over five scoreless innings. The strong showing earned the southpaw another turn in what is expected to be a six-man rotation for the next couple of weeks.

Manaea will get another start at some point over the next week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw was highly effective during his first big-league start of 2019 last Sunday, holding the Yankees to one hit and three walks over five scoreless innings. Manaea's strong showing earned him another turn in what is essentially a six-man rotation for the Athletics at the moment, with manager Bob Melvin stating an announcement on how he'll utilize his starting pitchers in coming days is imminent.