Milwaukee Brewers: Jimmy Nelson Suffers Minor Setback

Milwaukee Brewers fans got a tough bit of news on Monday when some injury news came in on returning starter Jimmy Nelson.

It’s been a long and winding road back for Jimmy Nelson, who suffered a shoulder injury in September 2017 that sidelined him for the entire 2018 season. With high hopes entering 2019 for Nelson, the news was not what Milwaukee Brewers fans were looking for.

Nelson reported some discomfort with his arm over the weekend. The Brewers are going to give him a couple days of rest before having him throw again.

Last year, Nelson was targeting a return date in June before suffering what was thought to be a minor setback. He stopped throwing for a couple days and then had to ramp back up and by the time he was ready, the season was over.

How Serious Is This?

Luckily for the Milwaukee Brewers, this does not appear serious and the club is not that concerned about Nelson’s health.

Arm fatigue is different than a shoulder/labrum issue. Perhaps Nelson’s arm was just so used to not throwing at 100% during his time rehabbing that the ramp back up to 100% fatigued his arm a little bit.

If David Stearns isn’t particularly concerned with this, then fans probably shouldn’t be concerned either. Stearns is privy to more information about the “setback” than we are, and if it doesn’t concern him, then Nelson should be good to go.

When Will Nelson Be Ready To Go?

He’s going to start playing catch in a couple days. Soon after that, he’ll be back on the mound and eventually throwing to live hitters.

Nelson’s spring training debut may be pushed back a little bit because of this, but as of right now he’s still on track to be ready for Opening Day.

We’re just going to have to wait a little bit longer to see Nelson in action. He’s the big storyline to watch in spring training this year, and the Milwaukee Brewers are counting on his return to help lead this rotation in 2019.

If Nelson has a strong spring training once he’s finally healthy, he’ll be able to solidify himself in that rotation. A spot in that rotation is guaranteed to him if he’s healthy.

The Brewers are likely to manage his workload carefully this year as they’ll want to keep him healthy all year long. With Craig Counsell’s liberal use of his bullpen and willingness to pull his starters fairly early in games, his innings will be semi-limited. But keep in mind Nelson is a bulldog on the mound, and he was the only pitcher to throw a complete game in 2017.

If Craig Counsell is going to pull Nelson in the fifth or sixth inning, he’s going to need a pretty good reason because Nelson isn’t going to give up that ball very easily.