First impressions are often important and it’s safe to say Chicago Cubs fans won’t be raving about pitcher Nate Pearson after he was ejected 1.1 innings into his debut on Monday.

The reliever was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for a pair of minor leaguers on Saturday and in his first outing for the Cubs, against the Cincinnati Reds, things immediately went awry.

Pearson gave up a 402-foot home run to Jeimer Candelario in the bottom of the eighth inning and followed that up by throwing an erratic 96 m.p.h. pitch that beaned Tyler Stephenson, subsequently getting the righty tossed.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell was also ejected as a result of the play.

Stephenson was visibly upset following being hit but did not escalate the matter beyond what appeared to be some choice words for Pearson.

The Reds went on to win the game 7-1.

Before his first start with Chicago, Pearson entered with an 0-1 record with two saves through 40 innings pitched in 2024. He boasted a 5.63 ERA through that span and 1.550 WHIP.

Pearson was originally drafted by Toronto 28th overall in the first round of the 2017 Draft and had spent his first four MLB seasons with the ball club.

He owns a career 5.21 ERA, 130 saves and a 7-4 record over 115.2 innings with the Blue Jays.

In a surprising turn of events, top pitching prospect Nate Pearson was ejected in his debut game with the Chicago Cubs. Pearson, who was acquired by the Cubs in a blockbuster trade earlier this season, was making his much-anticipated debut on the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The ejection came in the third inning after Pearson threw a pitch that was deemed to be too close to the head of Cardinals’ slugger Paul Goldschmidt. Home plate umpire Joe West wasted no time in ejecting Pearson from the game, much to the dismay of the Cubs’ coaching staff and fans.

Pearson, known for his electric stuff and high velocity fastball, was expected to be a key piece in the Cubs’ rotation moving forward. His ejection not only hurt the team’s chances of winning the game, but also raised questions about his control and composure on the mound.

After the game, Pearson expressed regret over the incident, stating that he did not intend to throw at Goldschmidt and that it was simply a case of a pitch getting away from him. He also apologized to his teammates and fans for letting them down in his debut.

The Cubs’ front office has yet to comment on the incident, but it is likely that Pearson will face some sort of disciplinary action from the league for his actions. In the meantime, the team will have to regroup and focus on their upcoming games without one of their top prospects in the rotation.

Overall, Nate Pearson’s ejection in his debut game with the Chicago Cubs was a disappointing turn of events for both him and the team. Hopefully, he can learn from this experience and come back stronger in his next outing.