I am in the 3rd year of trying to figure out how to grow Japanese eggplant (nasu) up here in New Hampshire from seed.

Finally did everything right this year (started the seeds inside REALLY EARLY, at the beginning of March, with a growlight and heated pad), so they were a foot+ tall by beginning June.

Of course, I don't have a solution for the notoriously fickle New England weather.

This June has been one of the coolest on record, and in fact had the 2nd most days without sun since they started keeping records in the 1800s.

I finally put the plants outside in mid-June, and the following week turned out to be even colder and wetter than previously.

This week, things started warming up.

BUT, apparently this year "warming up" means: Violent Thunderstorm Extravaganza every day.

Today, we just had the worst hailstorm I have ever seen come through.

The eggplants look like a giant caterpillar has been at them: basically just a bunch of stalks and leaf stems, the leaves have been shredded.

At this point, this is just comical.

Better luck next year.

If the stems and some smaller leaves are intact they may recover. Water and feed them more regularly. They will have new growth from the base of damaged leaves.
I am in zone 8, GA, and stubornly started mine directly in the garden. It felt like eternity to see them germinate. Now they are about 18" tall and starting to flower. I had early on to deal with the insects (similar to flies). Even now they are still around and I have to spray them again with neem oil isecticide.

You'll never know, maybe the worst is over and you may have a great rest of the season.
Good luck!

The 4 eggplants seem to have recovered nicely, sprouting big new leaves within a couple of weeks after the hail.

Currently, they all have flowers or little eggplants going. We'll see how far they get this year.

Take some photos when you can Carl!