Nelson receives encouraging news on shoulder

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jimmy Nelson was breathing "a big sigh of relief" Friday after an encouraging visit with the surgeon who repaired his right shoulder.
Nelson, who is eight months removed from surgery to repair his labrum, rotator cuff and shoulder capsule, will refrain from throwing for the next 10 days. But he left his Thursday appointment in Los Angeles with assurances that the repairs are healing as expected, and that a recent bout of discomfort was just part of the process.
"It was really good," Nelson said. "[Dr. Neal] ElAttrache was extremely happy and pleased with the way those three main repairs are healing. He made it pretty clear that this is the hardest part of this whole process, those [structures] actually healing. Because they are three rather unique, extensive repairs. Now that they're healed, he's very confident that that's not going to change throughout the rest of this process.
"That's a big sigh of relief there. When you're on the DL and you start feeling an ache or pain, as an athlete or a person, period, your knee-jerk reaction is to start filing through scenarios in your head. Obviously, worst-case scenario is he would have had to go back in there to clean something up. That wasn't even an idea he threw out there. He was plenty pleased with how well it had healed and how strong it was."

Following his 10-day hiatus from throwing, Nelson will have to work his way back to 150 feet. That's where he had been throwing for some weeks before a bout of discomfort that persisted after five days off, prompting the visit with ElAttrache.
His timetable to return to competition remains dependent on when Nelson is able to graduate from flat ground to a mound.
"He got ahead of schedule, and we were trying to figure out days," said Brewers manager Craig Counsell. "We've got to back off that a little bit and just let him get better."
Nelson expressed a similar outlook.
"From the whole beginning of this process, I was trying to get back better as soon as possible. The deeper I get into this, the more I realize it's more about the bigger picture, which is my career," Nelson said. "These guys have been doing an unbelievable job for where we're at [in the standings] right now, how we're playing and where we are as a team. As bad as I want to be back as soon as I can with these guys, I've got to be smart, too."
Last call:
• The Brewers will have to make another roster move Monday, when Chase Anderson comes off the DL to start against the D-backs at Miller Park. Anderson was scratched from his last start with that flu bug but is back to full strength.
• Right-hander Zach Davies, on the DL with a right shoulder injury, will make a rehab start for Class A Wisconsin on Saturday. Counsell declined to say whether Davies was scheduled for more Minor League outings after that.