“Sending him down to the minor leagues" - MLB analyst prescribes Triple-A stint for Alek Manoah after another bad outing

After Toronto Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah gave up 2 earned runs over four innings on May 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers, everyone knew that something had to change.

The outing bumped up Manoah's ERA to 5.76 and marked the tenth straight start for the 25-year-old without a win. Upon being pulled, the 6-foot-6 tank of a pitcher could be seen sobbing in the dugout.

Ahead of his start against the Houston Astros on June 5, Alek Manoah knew that he had to perform. After finishing third in AL Cy Young voting last year on account of his 16-7 record alongside a 2.24 ERA, the Florida native needed to prove that 2022 was not a fluke.

To say things got off to a rough start for Manoah against the Houston Astros would be an understatement. After surrendering a single to Mauricio Dubon on his first pitch of the game, Manoah was seen attempting to blow a bunt attempt by Jeremy Pena into foul territory as it rolled, fairly, up the third base line. Yordan Alvarez got the Astros on the board with an RBI single soon thereafter.

But Manoah's true unraveling came after he surrendered a first-inning Grand Slam to Corey Julks. The bomb was Julks' first of the season and sent Manoah to the bench after just 0.1 innings of work.

"COREY JULKS FIRST CAREER GRAND SLAM AND ITS 6-0 ASTROS IN THE FIRST INNING!!" - Ben Verlander

A former first-round draft pick, Toronto Blue Jays fans do not know what to think. Alek Manoah has become a fan favorite north of the border, and his spectacular 2022 campaign is still fresh in the minds of many.

Speaking to the Canadian podcast "First-Up," MLB analyst Buster Olney was asked by the hosts to prescribe a solution for the confounding issue of Alek Manoah. Olney was quick to offer his opinion, which may have come off rather harshly. Olney said:

"I am tearing a page out of the Roy Halladay book and sending him down to the minor leagues" - Buster Olney

Contrary to what many in Toronto seem to think, Olney shared his view that the minor leagues are the only sensible spot for Alek Manoah. Olney compared Manoah's situation to that of former Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, who was sent down to the minors in 2001. Two seasons later, Halladay won the AL Cy Young Award.

Alek Manoah may need some tough love after successive failures

With his wretched performance, Manoah snapped a four-game winning streak for his team. Now with a record of 28-33, the Jays stand 9.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

If Alek Manoah does indeed get sent down to Triple-A Buffalo, it may prove to be just the kick he needs, as was seen with Roy Halladay more than 20 years ago.