After missing more than a year due to shoulder surgery and elbow soreness, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson came off the injured list on Friday only to be sent down to Triple-A San Antonio immediately by the team.
The 29-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in September 2017 and missed the entire 2018 season as part of the recovery process. When Nelson returned for spring training this year, he experienced elbow soreness that sidelined him once again.
Nelson made four rehab appearances in the minor leagues as he worked his pitch count up to prepare for the move back into Milwaukee’s rotation.
After turning in his worst rehab outing on Thursday, in which he allowed four runs and eight base runners in 4.2 innings, Milwaukee opted to activate him off the IL and keep him in San Antonio.
Nelson threw 87 pitches on Thursday, so his arm is likely nearing a full recovery to where it can slide into Milwaukee’s rotation. However, the poor start with limited time remaining on his rehabilitation window likely led to the Brewers specific action.
He will make at least one more start in Triple-A with the level of success dictating when he returns to Milwaukee’s rotation. If all goes well, the Brewers hope to soon see the pitcher enjoyed in 2017 when he recorded a 3.49 ERA across 29 starts.