After starting the season looking like a $16 million ace, Frankie Montas did his “Luis Gil in Toronto” impression on Monday night, an unwelcome gift for Reds fans who stayed up to watch the team toil in Seattle.

Montas opened the year for Cincinnati on … Opening Day, in what felt like a knife twist to Yankees fans until they experienced their own joyful opener in Houston and it was immediately forgotten. He started splendidly, whiffing four, allowing four hits, and walking zero Nationals in six shutout innings. In his next outing, he allowed only a single Phillie to cross the plate, significantly limiting damage early.

Unfortunately (for some), he showed signs of breakdown in his third outing (five runs, three earned), but nothing compared to Monday’s action, when he seemingly lost total command of the baseball.

In an outing that looked a lot like his Yankees debut in St. Louis (remember that?!), he embarked on a 45-pitch bottom of the first by allowing: walk, walk, home run, walk. Only a double play and a rookie making his MLB debut grounding out salvaged things from being far worse.

Former Yankees starter Frankie Montas got roasted by Reds fans after Seattle disaster

Monday “not being his day” at least implied that he’s had “days” in a Reds uniform, something he could not claim about his Yankees tenure. No days on in New York, actually.

Forty-five pitches after embarking on the first inning of work, Montas finally walked off the mound, likely thankful for a road crowd at that moment in time.

His home fans logged onto Twitter past their bed times, though, and got a few parting shots in for him to read on the team plan (or on Jimmy Kimmel Live, eventually).

Yes, that … that certainly does sound like something that cannot happen.

Montas should at least be thankful for one other MLB starter this season. Otherwise, Monday might’ve been viewed as the pewter standard for grossness.

Unfortunately for Reds fans, the data indicates this is likely to get worse before it gets better.

Montas missed nearly the entire duration of the 2023 campaign with shoulder woes, and the cement mixer slider/decreased velocity/several troublesome misses of Monday’s start could indicate arm troubles.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

And don’t forget about his bragadocious start to spring, when he claimed he’d “win 20 games himself” to help counteract Cincinnati’s low PECOTA predictions.

Since that moment in time, the Reds have lost Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo long-term for reasons both injury- and injection-based, and their rotation seems to be teetering, ace-free at the moment.

Apologies to any Reds fans who stayed up to watch this slog, but we could’ve warned you. We were several weeks too early, but we could’ve warned you.