The Blue Jays have activated right-hander Nate Pearson from the 10-day injured list, the club announced. Pearson will report to the Blue Jays’ alternate site and join their Triple-A team.
Pearson suffered a right groin strain at the beginning of camp last month, though Toronto initially didn’t expect it to lead to a long absence. Roughly two weeks later, Pearson re-aggravated the injury, and he has spent the past month and a half working back from it.
While Pearson is one of the game’s prized young hurlers, evidenced in part by his 16th-place ranking on Baseball America’s list of top 100 prospects, staying healthy has been an issue of late. The hard-throwing 24-year-old made his major league debut last season, though a flexor strain in his elbow limited him to five appearances (four starts) and 18 innings. He struggled across that small sample of work, allowing 15 runs (12 earned) and issuing 13 walks. Pearson only gave up 14 hits, but five of those went for home runs, and he finished with a below-average 19.8 percent strikeout rate.
Although Pearson’s first regular-season action didn’t go well, he did end 2020 on a high note. Pearson made one appearance in the Blue Jays’ wild-card round loss to the Rays and threw two perfect innings with five strikeouts and 12 swings and misses. That’s the type of dominance the Jays are hoping Pearson will provide out of their rotation whenever they recall him this season and over the long haul. The club’s staff could use the help in the near term, as only Hyun Jin Ryu (who’s on the 10-day IL with a right glute strain), Steven Matz and Robbie Ray have made three or more starts and produced positive results this year.
oldmansteve
Blue Jays Activate Nate Pearson!
Blue Jays Option Nate Pearson…
Talk about getting blue balled.
jaysfansince1977
What Steve you thought he would go directly to the starting rotation? of course he gets optioned to build up his pitch count, does not take a baseball savant to figure that one out!
davemac32000
Jerk comment
Budlight Selig
Speaking of getting balled, how’s your sister doing Nebraska? Or should I say girlfriend.
smuzqwpdmx
Basically they’ve decided they might as well manipulate his service time until he gets stretched out.
bigdaddyt
or hes not ready, he got shelled in the last game he played so thinks its warranted
jaysfansince1977
Scherzer got shelled his last start, what is your point???
bigdaddyt
well considering Pearson was still playing minor leaguers and building up to a starters workload along with not being one of the best starters of the last decade it doesnt make sense to have him pitch for a team that is struggling to get innings from a starter. do you think its good for the jays to use a roster spot on a guy that might go 2-3innings if your lucky and give up 5 runs. or do you give him 2-3 minors starts to build up to a proper starter workload and shake off the rust. does that make my point come across a little bit more clearly for ya bud
clrrogers
Scherzer has a track record. Pearson does not.
Raps902420
Pearson isn’t scherzer lol.
smuzqwpdmx
Of course he’s not ready, but he wasn’t going to come up if he’d thrown 3 shutout innings in that game. You don’t expect pitchers to be great in their early rehab outings.
jaysfansince1977
Service time??? do you even follow baseball? The Jays already had him in the Majors, there is no service time to manipulate as his clock started last season, good try tho!
bigdaddyt
umm going back to the minors stops the clock
jaysfansince1977
172 days on the 40 man roster including time on the IL, Pearson was never removed from the 40 man roster last season so there is no service time to manipulate this season
jimthegoat
He wasn’t removed from the 40-man roster but he was removed from the active 26-man roster. That stops the clock.
Although with 169 days of service accrued in 2020, Pearson only had to spend 3 days on the major league roster or IL this season to not have his free agency pushed back. He already did that. So yeah, this wasn’t about service time.
smuzqwpdmx
Only sport I follow for 40 years, maybe that’s why I know how service time works better than you. Good try tho!
davemac32000
Jerk
Murphy NFLD
Well not really he has to stay down a long time to get delayed another year
smuzqwpdmx
It probably won’t get them another year, but there’s no harm (except to him and his agent) in increasing the odds. Because nobody knows what the future holds and if he’ll get sent down again for real later after a poor performance this year or next or the year after. Even Roy Halladay got sent down a couple years into his career.
its_happening
Doc also got smashed in 2000 so badly they had no choice but to send him down. He performed in 99 and the last few weeks of 98. Pearson hasn’t been given a chance so when he’s ready to roll the Jays better give him the ball and let him run with it.
jimthegoat
He would literally have to stay down the rest of 2021 and like the first 5 weeks of the 2022 season to have his FA pushed back another year.
high_upside
This has nothing to do with service time lol
jimmertee
Nate Pearson doesn’t know how to pitch in the big leagues yet. He got to the bigs on talent not knowing how to pitch, it is going to take him a year or two to learn it.
He may end up as a closer.
Dexxter
Shades of Roy Halliday hopefully.
His ceiling is gigantic but you’re right. He probably needs a bit more experience before we see anything close to that ceiling.
And yeah. I think worst case he’s a dominant reliever… but definitely should not go there yet.
Murphy NFLD
Its probably the best thing to do with him this year. Have him pitch 2 innings at a time or follow an opener and pitch 4 or something. Hes only pitched 120 innings give or take sense he turned pro
The Baseball Fan
He’s overrated sorry Jays fans, but Simeon Woods Richardson is the guy not Pearson.
bigdaddyt
yup can throw 100+ but hasnt shown he can do much else. cant hit on every prospect but i would still think barring major injury issues Pearsons floor is an elite level reliever
Joeypower
As a Jays fan I can’t agree more!!
Halo11Fan
It blows my mind how many of you think you have a clue how a pitcher will develop.
You don’t know. He starts off with a great tool. Where he takes it, only God knows.
But I’d bet on the kid with a great tool every single time over the kid with questionable tools and guile. I wouldn’t win that bet every time, but I would win it the majority of the time.
Dustyslambchops23
I didn’t realize how many pro scouts comment on MLBTR.
If you guys can look at a young top rated prospect that throws 100mph and declare a future relegated to the bullpen or AAAA you may want to call the Rockies, they are looking for a GM.
jimmertee
I don’t want to work for the Rockies.
BeforeMcCourt
I didn’t realize a baseball forum is not the place to speculate about baseball players and their future role, which directly correlates to potential trade value
Thanks for the heads up
its_happening
Exactly BeforeMcCourt.
Dustyslambchops23
Try using facts and or justification for an opinion.
Not being negative just to say ‘oh I was right, I called it’ congrats who friggin cares.
Bet you were saying vladdy was a bust after 300 ABs too.
its_happening
Aw you unmuted me. How cute. Fact #1.
Because you bring more vitriol does not make your fact-less opinion more valid than another. Fact #2.
Weight is the only thing holding Vlad back. His talent has no bounds. But you lose that bet as I’ve never called Vlad a bust. Fact #3.
Jays need starting pitching and you want a closer. A closer solves nothing. The bullpen is fine. Fact #4.
You don’t have to tell us you aren’t being negative. You’re a natural. Fact #5.
Probably should stop trying to bully people here. Fact #6.
Dustyslambchops23
I wasn’t replying to you nor did I have you muted. You seem to have a bit of a hard on for me. It’s a bit weird that I have that much affect on you. I don’t need to mute anyone, I just see a user name that I know won’t contribute to a conversation and don’t even bother reading it.
Also never mentioned that I want Pearson in the bullpen, that would be nuts. Take care pal, hope things get better for you
its_happening
Pretty sure they already manipulated the service time last year. I think Sportsnet unveiled this before the first Spring Training game.
So this should be about building him up. But the Jays need to treat him like any other pitcher and not someone “special” to protect him. Protection does not help nor aid the development. Pearson’s 24 turning 25. Turn him loose and let him sink or swim. You can only protect a pitcher for so long.
jaysfansince1977
Well it appears i got under the skin of some posters on here yesterday, my comment to Jimmer was inappropriate and for that i apologize. Really liked high- upsides reply to me tho!! Steve i am glad you so enjoy coitus with my lady as she passed several years ago! Davemac glad to make your day, i do so enjoy being a jerk LOL
its_happening
All good Jays fan. I certainly have many of them. Especially when the Jays signed Semien. Boy was I wrong about Semien as he’s lit the world on-fire thus far.
Sorry to hear about your better half.