This Wednesday, a Rays reliever had a gut-wrenching experience. Literally. Jonathan Heasley‘s first pitch back in the major leagues lasted exactly three throws. Then, his stomach took over. The 29-year-old relief pitcher had actually warned a sideline reporter before the game that his nerves might get the best of him, and on Wednesday night, they absolutely did.

“There’s nothing I can do to stop it. It just kind of hits me sometimes. I think it’s a mix of adrenaline, everything, getting a little amped up, whatever. Unfortunately, it goes straight to my stomach, and sometimes, it comes out,” Heasley seemed a bit distraught while talking to the reporters postgame. 

Getting back to the majors after two years sounds great, but this was a rough comeback. The Rays only called him up because their pitching staff was decimated by injuries. They just needed him to pitch in a game they were already losing badly to give their other guys a rest.

Heasley was called up hardly an hour before the game. Speaking to sideline reporter Ryan Bass before the first pitch, he admitted that he has a weak stomach when he gets nervous.

“So if it does happen, don’t be alarmed, I’m all right,” Heasley had warned. 

Heasley entered the field in the fifth inning when the Rays were trailing the Orioles 6-0. He started pitching to Coby Mayo but felt kind of uneasy after he threw a 93-mph fastball. He paused, bent over, and threw up on the mound. Heasley took a moment after that, and it looked like he was getting better. But he started hurling again on the same spot.

The medical staff came out to check on him, but he somehow convinced them to let him stay in the game.

His last pitching in the majors was in 2024 for the Orioles. After just four games, a shoulder injury and poor stats saw him DFA’d to Triple-A. He wasn’t very successful in turning things around, and Baltimore ultimately released him in the same year. After bouncing around different minor league systems, he finally joined the Rays in 2026.

This happened during the last season he played as a starter in MLB. Halsey had vomited on the mound after pitching 4.2 innings for the Royals in 2022. Notably, he has had similar incidents during his minor league games as well. That’s why he tried to warn the people early not to trigger a panic. 

But he isn’t the only one facing such an issue during a major league game. White Sox SP Adrian Houser had a similar incident in 2025. He threw up in the dugout but completed the innings to help Chicago ensure a win. Unfortunately, for Jonathan Heasley, we aren’t sure which was a bigger upset – his stomach or his pitching. 

Heasley’s rough comeback amid Rays’ growing pitching emergency

Tampa Bay had put Jesse Scholtens on a 15-day IL on May 24 following a right wrist strain. A week before that, Cole Sulser was sidelined for a lower back strain. The Rays wanted someone to provide fresh, multi-inning relief for a pitching staff heavily strained by recent injuries. Pitchers like Ryan Pepiot are out for the season. And there are a couple of players who won’t return before the All-Star break.

The Rays desperately needed a fresh arm to pitch multiple innings so they wouldn’t exhaust their bullpen. That’s how Heasley found his way to the MLB mound again. But during the four innings he pitched, he allowed eight hits, five runs, including two homers, while recording only 2 strikeouts. The Rays lost 11-2 to the Orioles and recorded their 4th loss. 

Tampa Bay is still ahead of the Yankees, but they are tied with 34 wins each. And while looking for a solution for the rotation, they experienced a disaster. However, Heasley had a 3.90 ERA over 7 games in the minor league this year. He recorded 18 strikeouts over 27.2 innings. 

These samples are much better than his first MLB game in two seasons. But they are not convincing enough for a team fighting for the AL East crown. Hopefully, Jonathan Heasley will see better days, both health and performance-wise.