TORONTO — Blue Jays pitcher Nate Pearson aggravated his strained right groin during a bullpen session Tuesday, further decreasing the hard-throwing right-hander’s chance of making Toronto’s Opening Day roster.
“We do feel it’s very mild in nature but want to re-asses that and then just take it a day at a time,” general manager Ross Atkins said.
Pearson strained his groin in his debut spring training outing March 1. He felt fine after a bullpen session Saturday, his first since the injury.
Right-hander Ross Stripling is expected to replace Pearson in Toronto’s rotation.
“Obviously Strip, with what he’s done in his career, has a leg up on that spot,” Atkins said.
A first-round pick in the 2017 amateur draft, Pearson is Toronto’s top pitching prospect. He made his major league debut last season, going 1-0 with a 6.00 ERA in four starts and one relief appearances. He missed five weeks in August and September because of a sore elbow.