Close to Return, Blue Jays’ Pearson Finally Ready for ‘Smooth Sailing’

Life's been very unfair for Nate Pearson, but as he nears his return, the lessons he's learned will make him better.

Nate Pearson feels a little unlucky.

“There's always a little bit of frustration,” the Blue Jays right-hander said Monday in front of his locker at Rogers Centre. “A little bit of bad luck on my way with this one, but it's all part of a plan."

The 25-year-old won’t flat out admit it, but the start to his MLB career has been full of injustices. In 2018, Pearson broke his arm on a comebacker in a minor-league game. After making his Blue Jays debut in 2020, Pearson lost most of his inaugural season to a flexor strain. Then in 2021, he was plagued by a hernia issue that forced him to bullpen duties in his 12 appearances.

It’s been the same ol’ tune this year, as Pearson guts his way through a mononucleosis diagnosis from spring training. He’s still dealing with fatigue, but Pearson isn’t short on motivation. He’s been watching his Blue Jays teammates on TV as they’ve ripped through a difficult April schedule with a stellar 15-8 record.

Of course, Pearson wished he could've been a part of this hot stretch, and he said chatting regularly with guys like Tayler Saucedo, Ryan Borucki, and Jordan Romano has helped him get through this miserable bout with mono. But a return to the Blue Jays clubhouse gave Pearson a more effective jolt of positive energy. 

“It's good to be up here and be around the guys,” Pearson said. “It's just a smile on my face when I get to see these guys, just talk to them.”

Now there are plenty of tests Pearson needs to pass to prove he’s ready. He’ll first throw a bullpen Tuesday in Toronto before the next steps are determined, though Pearson said he expects he’ll head to Buffalo soon to stretch out his arm as a starting pitcher in some rehab games with the Triple A team.

"That's the goal. Then we'll go from there,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo. “If he’s stretched out to a starter and we need length in the bullpen, he could come up and throw out the bullpen. He’s done it before. But the goal is to stretch him and be a starter.”

That said, Montoyo made it clear Pearson’s spot on the major-league club wasn’t a sure thing.

“He’s still gotta pitch good down there to come here,” the Toronto skipper said. “Our pitching has been outstanding here [at the major-league level]."

When he comes back, Pearson’s usage will be worth monitoring. He seemed destined for a hybrid-type role if he made the 2022 Opening Day roster, but that never materialized because once Pearson got sick, he had to start his throwing progression from scratch. Regardless, Pearson is ready for a multitude of roles.

“All I know is I’m being built up as a starter and [could] cover some bulk inning roles,” he said. “Whether that’s long relief out of the pen or spot starts in the rotation, whatever it may be, I'm just planning for whatever.”

Pearson wants to be a full-time starting pitcher eventually, and while there have been waves of setbacks in his quest towards doing so, he’s maintained a mature perspective. 

“I'm still only 25. I’ve got so much time left,” Pearson said. “Now I’m just gonna be thankful for when I do get healthy and get back out there. And no matter what I'm facing, I've already been through most of it, so it's going to be smooth sailing.”