Jimmy Nelson was expected to stabilize the Milwaukee Brewers rotation. Now, he may be on the cusp of losing his spot.
Heading into the 2019 campaign, the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation was considered to be their biggest weakness. Although they did not address the rotation during the offseason, they expected to have an upgrade in the middle of the season with the return of Jimmy Nelson.
Instead, Nelson has struggled since rejoining the major league squad. His struggles have gotten to the point where the Brewers are reportedly considering removing Nelson from the rotation.
#Brewers manager Craig Counsell said no decision made yet on whether Jimmy Nelson stays in rotation. Still under discussion.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) June 21, 2019
Prior to injuring his shoulder at the end of the 2017 campaign, Nelson was in the midst of a breakout. He had produced a 3.49 ERA and a 1.249 WHiP, striking out 199 batters with only 48 walks in 175.1 innings. After leading the league in walks in 2016, Nelson’s improved command had put him on the precipice of becoming an ace.
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After missing the entire 2018 season, and the first two months of this year, Nelson made his debut on June 5. In his three outings, he has yet to pitch more than five innings, allowing a total of 14 runs, 13 earned, on 16 hits and ten walks over 12 innings. Nelson is still striking out over a batter an inning, with 13 whiffs, but the command is not there.
Normally, it would make sense to put Nelson in the bullpen for a stint, or even to send him to AAA to regain his footing. The problem is that the Brewers do not have many attractive options to fill out the rotation. Jhoulys Chacin, Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and Adrian Houser have struggled in the rotation as well this year.
Unless the Brewers look to get a jump on the trade market, they may be forced to stay with Nelson in the rotation. It is just three starts, and he has had moments of looking like his 2017 self. Otherwise, the Brewers may be playing musical chairs with that spot in the rotation.
The Milwaukee Brewers may consider removing Jimmy Nelson from the rotation. However, none of their other options are any more attractive.