Nate Pearson has been promoted by the Blue Jays, Adam Cimber to the 15-day IL

Nate Pearson, once one of the top pitching prospects in the game of baseball, is being recalled to the big leagues by the Toronto Blue Jays. The 26-year-old has been on a mission to reinvent himself as a relief pitcher, and the experiment has been going swimmingly so far.

After a 12-game stint in the Dominican Winter League in which he struck out 16 batters and walked only four while not surrendering a single earned run, Pearson has been in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons where he has dominated.

In the first eight appearances and 8.1 innings of work of Pearson's 2023 season, he has struck out 16 batters and walked five while allowing just two earned runs, good for an ERA of 2.16. He has stuck out as a callup candidate for a while, but there was no obvious corresponding move for the Blue Jays to make.

To make room for Pearson on the active roster, the Blue Jays are placing right-handed reliever Adam Cimber on the 15-day injured list with a right rhomboid strain.

Cimber, 32, has been a reliable presence in the Jays' bullpen dating back to the second half of the 2021 season. Last year, he made 77 appearances for the club, posting a 2.80 ERA and 138 ERA+. He excels at inducing groundballs and is never (ever) going to blow batters away with his heat, but his funky delivery is what has helped him elevate his game over the years.

To begin the 2023 season, Cimber has made it into 11 games and has a 4.50 ERA thanks to five earned runs on eight hits, including three home runs.

For Pearson, this promotion could be the break he needs in his career. As long as he is able to stay healthy, he should have a job locked down in the bullpen for the long run. After dealing with seemingly endless injuries over the past few years, he is healthy and ready to show off his triple-digit heat out of the big league bullpen.