The Toronto Blue Jays were wheeling and dealing this trade deadline, moving numerous players across the league to try and regather themselves for a run in the 2025 season and restock a depleted farm system. Of the players on the way out was Nate Pearson, a former top prospect who was dubbed the next ace of this squad before injuries and inconsistencies on the mound saw him move to the bullpen to limit injury risk.

Pearson being traded this past weekend was a bit of a headscratcher at first, as the right-hander still has a minor league option at his disposal next season and was under contract for at least another two seasons as well. While the Florida product has struggled to live up to expectations of being a first-round pick, he was one pitcher that the Jays could have tinkered with to move back to the rotation next season to give some additional depth in the upper levels of the minors. Instead, the club moved him to Chicago in exchange for two position player prospects – Yohendrick Pinango and Josh Rivera.

The former Blue Jay made his way to his new squad and made his Cubs debut last night, entering the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Cincinnati Reds leading 6 to 0.

His first inning of work was clean against the bottom and top of the Reds lineup, with the first batter he faced being former teammate Santiago Espinal. He got Espinal to ground out before retiring Jonathan India and TJ Friedl to get out of the inning unscathed.

Pearson was brought out to start the eighth inning and after he retired Spencer Steer on six pitches, his first strikeout in a Cubs uniform, things unravelled in a hurry for the 27-year-old.

With the one out and Jeimer Candelario in the batter’s box, Pearson hung a 97 MPH fastball down the heart of the plate and the switch-hitting Candelario quickly deposited the offering over the right field wall, a 402-foot no-doubter that left the bat at 104 MPH.

Looking to bounce back, Pearson toed the rubber with Tyler Stephenson at the plate and the right-hander uncorked a 96 MPH heater that tagged Stephenson in the helmet, a scary scene that fortunately caught a lot of the helmet. While the Reds catcher took first base, agitated at being hit following the home run, the umpires converged on the infield and after a lengthy discussion, tossed Pearson from the game, prematurely ending his debut. This led to Cubs manager Craig Counsell getting ejected as well, with the skipper arguing about the call to remove his newest reliever following the hit batter.

While it didn’t look like the hit to the head was intentional, with the game at 7-0 and a batter getting hit in the head late, it makes sense why the umpire crew ejected Pearson given the rivalry between the two NL Central clubs and trying to prevent things from escalating further.

So after a clean inning of work, Pearson’s Cubs debut ends with a solo home run and an ejection in what will surely be remembered for some time amongst the Chicago fanbase.