March 26, 2025
Nelson will remain stretched out as a reliever,
Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. "(Nelson) is going to be able to provide us some length," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We feel like we've got some solid backup there just in case the starter doesn't give us what he needs to."
ANALYSISNelson, who fell short in his bid to be the No. 5 starter, became the top long option out the bullpen following the news that
Jordan Montgomery will undergo Tommy John elbow surgery. The Montgomery news also suggests that Nelson could be in line to start should a current member of the rotation require extended downtime due to injury. Nelson was a valued part of the rotation in 2024, when he improved in several underlying metrics (K:BB, K/9, BB/9, HR/9) compared to 2023.