Blue Jays pitching prospect Nate Pearson hit by comebacker, taken out of game

Nate Pearson, the most hyped Blue Jays pitching prospect this spring, was removed from his debut with the Dunedin Blue Jays Monday evening after a Tyler Gaffney line drive struck his throwing arm in the elbow area.

Jason Woodell, who was at the game, reported that 21-year-old first round pick from 2017 was “unable to extend his arm” and later reported that one of his sources have told him that the diagnosis is a broken right ulna (forearm bone on the pinky side). Woodell posted a video of Pearson being hit and in a lot of pain. In the video, you can hear the double sound of ball hitting the bat and Pearson’s arm.

Pearson spent April and the first week of May rehabbing at extended spring training, with an oblique issue delaying the start of his season. He threw only 1.2 innings before being grounded by the comebacker, giving up a two-run home run in the first, and uncorking a wild pitch and passed ball in the second inning before being struck. He did induce this pretty ground ball with a 95-mph pitch (video again from Woodell):

Kacy Clemens also made his Florida State League debut in the game, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts after being called up from Lansing.

Update

The Blue Jays report that Pearson will be out for four to six weeks at least with a non-displaced fracture of his ulna. Factoring in rehab time, it will likely mean he’ll be out of competitive baseball until the last month of the season.