Blue Jays Oft-Injured Prospect Shut Down For Weeks

It's become a familiar refrain around the Toronto Blue Jays organization: 'Former top pitching prospect Nate Pearson has been shut down.' And here we go again. After he left a minor league game following just two pitches last week, the word has come down: Shut it down.

Nate Pearson has been shut down for 3-4 weeks.

After that, the #BlueJays will reevaluate Pearson to see if he can begin to play catch.

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 28, 2022

It's been diagnosed as a right lat strain, and he won't be allowed to throw for at least 3-4 weeks. After that, they will re-evaluate and see where he's at. 

The 6-foot-6 right-hander has been a top prospect in the Jays' system for years now, but a series of injuries and illnesses have limited his time in the majors to just 33 innings, and he holds a 5.18 ERA. 

He's suffered everything from sports hernias to mono to keep him out of the lineup for extended periods over the last few seasons.

If everything goes well with the recovery from this lat strain, he could start a throwing program in August, and maybe... just maybe... he could have a shot at contributing out of the bullpen in September. 

Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports