The Blue Jays expected more from Nate Pearson. Another setback changes their trade deadline game plan

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This article was published 24/06/2021 (1607 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the return of George Springer hogging most of the media attention this week, there was another injury update from the Blue Jays that went largely unnoticed but could still have major repercussions for the second half of the season.

The oft-injured Nate Pearson is back on the injured list with a strained right groin at Triple-A Buffalo. The same injury that kept the promising right-hander out of action for six weeks earlier this year has resurfaced in the middle of yet another frustrating season.

Pearson is no stranger to the IL. Five seasons into his Jays tenure, it has become a second home. There have been three stints this year alone: one in the majors, two while on assignment with the Bisons. Before that, there was a right shoulder impingement, an elbow issue and a fractured forearm.

The injuries are starting to outnumber the blown saves from a beleaguered bullpen, and one can’t help but wonder when — or if — it’s ever going to end.

The latest injury was described by manager Charlie Montoyo as less severe than the one from spring training, but Pearson being sent out this week to receive a fourth medical opinion suggests the concern is greater than the organization is letting on.

First thing’s first. The Jays need to diagnosis the exact injury and figure out the proper rehab schedule. Whatever the club tried the first time didn’t work, because Pearson made it through just six starts before he was shut down. Something isn’t right and it needs to be figured out soon, otherwise another year will be lost entirely.

The second concern is how Pearson’s setback impacts the Jays’ plans for next month’s trade deadline. It was less than a week ago that general manager Ross Atkins expressed optimism that an ideal scenario would see Pearson forcing his way into the rotation later in the year — a not-so-secret weapon who could come on strong and be a difference maker on a team gearing up for a run to the post-season.

That technically could still happen, but it’s a lot less realistic now than earlier in the month. Dating back to Pearson’s 2016 stint in the NCAA, he has combined to throw 222 innings over the last six years. There have been 31 times in franchise history when a Jays starter has thrown more in one season. This is not the workhorse many expected the former first-round pick to become.

With his checkered medical history, Pearson can no longer be counted on for the second half because another setback could be just around the corner. If he gets healthy and starts pitching again soon, great. But with this much uncertainty, anything the Jays get out of him at the big-league level in 2021 will be considered a bonus. He’s still a piece, but after getting pushed aside by Alek Manoah and others, he’s no longer the piece.

With his return date up in the air, it’s entirely possible that by the time Pearson gets back there won’t be enough games remaining to get properly stretched out as a starter. That would force a move to the bullpen and while there have been calls to send him there before, an argument can be made that a permanent transition to that role still isn’t advisable.

The Jays have more time to develop Pearson than one might think for a guy who has been talked about ad nauseam for the last three seasons. The soon-to-be 25-year-old is no spring chicken, but he still has two minor-league options remaining on his contract beyond this season. Pushing him into the bullpen for anything other than a stretch run should be considered a last resort, and there are a lot of dates left on the calendar before the club needs to explore such extremes.

“All of the options are open,” Montoyo said late Thursday afternoon, specifically referencing this season. “If we’re not able to get him stretched out as a starter, (the bullpen) could be an option. Of course we want him to be a starter, but … if we’re going to run out of time, that’s always an option.”

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The reasons for continuing to develop Pearson as a starter despite all the setbacks should be obvious. Even though the sample size is small, his stuff has proven to hold up deep into games. Pearson’s velocity typically increases the more he pitches, and the quality of his secondary offerings is good enough to make it through batting orders a third time.

Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole and other starters at that level would make great closers. They also provide much more value by tossing upwards of 200 innings instead of 50 to 70 in relief. The thinking on Pearson was similar; he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to show it. A move to the ’pen might limit injuries or it might not, and with no guarantees the long-term goal should still be the option with the most upside.

For Pearson, that means continuing to start and getting his innings up as high as possible, so there is less stretching out to be done in the future. To date, that goal has been mission impossible, but there’s time left on the clock — if not this season, then next year and beyond.

All hope is not lost — plenty of promise remains — but the shine from this can’t-miss prospect has started to wear off. Pearson’s 100-m.p.h. fastballs could easily bring that sparkle back. He just needs to be throwing off a mound for it to happen, and that’s not something he’s done much of so far in his career.

Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca