Alek Manoah's MLB return goes worse than anyone could've imagined

Just a couple of years ago Alek Manoah looked like one of the best pitchers in the majors for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was an AL Cy Young finalist in his first full season and looked like a staple at the top of Toronto's rotation for years to come.

Well, last season was a nightmare. Manoah had a 5.87 ERA in 19 starts and was sent down to the minors a couple of times. He had hoped to bounce back this season but struggled in his lone Spring Training appearance and then posted an 8.69 ERA in his five rehab starts.

As bad as things looked, Manoah delivered a gem in his last AAA start, allowing one run in six innings and striking out 12. Perhaps he had unlocked something. That's what the Jays hoped when they gave him another shot in the majors on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. That couldn't have been further from the case.

Alek Manoah looks as lost as ever in latest MLB return

Manoah's first inning back featured its ups and downs. He did not allow an earned run thanks to a Bo Bichette error and did strike out three batters, but he walked two in the inning including one with the bases loaded to put the Blue Jays in an early hole. He also threw 29 pitches to get through one frame.

To the surprise of everyone, the Blue Jays' anemic offense actually came through in the second inning, scoring five runs thanks to a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Grand Slam. They tacked on one more in the third. Manoah was gifted a five-run lead as the Jays looked for a series win. Then it all really fell apart.

Manoah allowed a run in the third and allowed five more in the fourth including this three-run homer to turn what was a 6-1 lead into a 7-6 deficit. The final line was not pretty.

There were some promising signs. Manoah fanned six in four innings, which is impressive. He struck out a pair while retiring the side in order in the second. However, the rest of his afternoon was awful. He was matched up against a Nationals team that was without Lane Thomas and ranked in the bottom half of the league in runs scored yet couldn't get through the fifth despite being handed a huge lead.

The Blue Jays didn't have much of a choice but to rely on Manoah to start this game. Bowden Francis, the pitcher who began the year as their No. 5 starter, is on the IL. Yariel Rodriguez, the pitcher who replaced Francis in the rotation, is on the IL. Mitch White, a depth option who began the year in the organization is now in San Francisco. The only realistic option they had on their 40-man was Paolo Espino who has a career ERA over 5.00.

As for what the Jays can do from here, that's pretty unclear. Manoah clearly is not ready for the majors, but they don't have any other appealing options. It'll be interesting to see if the Jays will give Manoah another look. If they do, it would come against a Twins team that entered play on Sunday on a 12-game winning streak. Yikes.