Right-hander Jimmy Nelson has made the Dodgers’ roster, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. With Nelson joining the team, it sent righty Tommy Kahnle, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, to the 60-day injured list. The Dodgers also reassigned infielder Sheldon Neuse to minor league camp.
Nelson is in his second year with the Dodgers, who signed him to a $1.25MM guarantee going into 2020, but the former Brewer didn’t pitch at all last season after undergoing back surgery. It was the latest unfortunate injury for Nelson, whose career has gone off track since what looked like a breakout effort in 2017. Nelson suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder late that year, sat out all of the next season and then mustered just 22 innings of 6.95 ERA ball in 2019.
Because of his recent misfortune, the Dodgers declined Nelson’s $2MM option for this year. They brought him back on a minor league contract after that, though, and he’ll now open the season in their bullpen. The 31-year-old earned a spot with seven innings of one-run, four-hit ball and nine strikeouts against one walk this spring.
Always cool this time of year when guys make rosters. Nelson was pretty good before the injury and I kind of doubt he can be much more than serviceable but he was good enough to make the Dodgers.
Neuse getting optioned means it’s almost certain McKinstry gets the final bench spot.
Beatty, Rios, Mckinstry, Pollock
Nice bench.
Pollock is not a bench player.
He should be
Haha he was amazing as a Diamondback
nope. He was our Starter at LF last year and a very good one. So you really don’t watch the games and post nonsense here.
He may be implying Pollock should be a bench player to keep him healthy? Not a slight to his production?
He is with Chris Taylor on fire.
Yeah, didn’t he end up leading the Dodgers, and maybe even the NL, in HR’s in last year’s shortened Regular Season w/ 16 bombs? CT3 is legit, don’t get me wrong, but he’ll be all over the diamond, spending the most time at 2B imo. But he and others will def cut into AJ’s time in LF… Overlooked w/ Pollack is the above average everything that he brings from the right side of the box.
And Tony Robbins. Picked up off waivers this morning.
And Santana also gets optioned. It was really a tossup between the two. The use or lose it contract situation for Nelson pretty much guaranteed he’d be selected even if he hadn’t shown this well in Spring Training. We’ll see how he hangs onto it. When Graterol and Kelly come off the IL the roster is going to get really crunchy.
Errr…was hoping Alexander would get the boot
Fox- He is with us! Lux and Taylor putting that guy on the pine by May this year, looks cooked this spring…per usual
Like what I see in Sheldon but happy for McKinstry
Could yet happen but he’s a lefty and that automatically gives him a little more rope. He’s also have to be DFA to get him off the roster.
Yea was always going to be an uphill battle w Alexander outta options
I could see a small trade soon in all honesty for a player w options
Alexander has one option left.
Ruiz and Santana are the other two guys that only have one option left and where it might be relevant.
Muncy and Urias each have only one option left, but not an issue.
good for him, was hoping he could return last year so hopefully he performs well
Jimmy holds grudges!
Jimmy and misunderstandings kinda clash.
The 1-2 games I saw him throw looked good.
He might not be the best starting option, but in relief, his stuff plays up.
I thought he was hitting 95-97 MPH, this spring.
If Jimmy stays healthy this year, he’s going to be yet another weapon for the Dodgers to deploy. Does this team have any holes at all? Their depth is ridiculous!
Agreed , and signing Nelson was a great move.
“They’re lacking in RH power bats.”
Tough world there at Dodgers Stadium.
I saw most of his innings this spring, and he looked really, really good. Always liked the chance they took on him, and was hoping they’d just pick up his option. But I’m glad they still managed to retain him.
Good for him. Hope he stays healthy.
If Nelson stays healthy, he will be a beast for the Dodgers this year.
Given cuts, it looks like there are two roster decisions left: (1) McKinstry or DJ Peters (RH off bench), and (2) Santana or Alexander.
(If Rios is not healthy , I imagine Neuse will get that spot).
Starting in Colorado, I think Santana is the better choice. He’s had the better spiring. He can pitch multiple innings. And he now has some ability to get lefties out. The argument for Alexander is that he’s a lefty and can keep the ball on the ground in Colorado.
McKinstry has earned a roster spot. BUT, starting in Colorado, and with Gavin Lux being given a long runway, you could make the argument for DJ Peters to begin the season on the roster for Colorado as a RH power off the bench and a better bet to roam the spacious Colorado outfield than McKinstry.
I’m guessing mckinstry stays up as well as alexander. Alexander only has one option left (pretty sure Santana has two)