James Jacob Nelson (born June 5, 1989) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
for the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
.
Amateur career
Nelson attended
Niceville High School
Niceville Senior High School (NHS) is a public high school in the city of Niceville, Florida. It is ranked as the top high school within its high-performing Okaloosa County School District. In 1996 NHS was selected as one of 226 secondary schools ...
in
Niceville, Florida
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay.
The population was 11,684 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population for Niceville was 12,7 ...
. The
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
selected Nelson in the 39th round of the
2007 Major League Baseball draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the f ...
, but he did not sign with the Reds. He attended the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
, and played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for the
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...
. In 2010, his junior year, he had a 9-3
win-loss record with a 4.01
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) in 18 games (17 starts).
Professional career
Milwaukee Brewers
The
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
selected Nelson in the second round of the
2010 Major League Baseball draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
First-round selections
The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...
.
![Jimmy Nelson on April 5, 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Jimmy_Nelson_on_April_5%2C_2014.jpg)
Nelson started the 2013 season with the Double-A
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Mil ...
. He was promoted to the Triple-A
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...
on June 5. He was promoted to the majors on September 3, made his debut on September 6, and made his first major league start on September 28.
Prior to the 2014 season, Nelson was rated the Brewers' top prospect and 96th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America. Nelson began 2014 back at Triple-A Nashville, and dominated the Pacific Coast League to the tune of a 10–2 record, 1.46 ERA, and 114 strikeouts. Nelson was even named 2014
PCL Pitcher of the Year. He made one spot start for Milwaukee against the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
due to a minor injury suffered by
Yovani Gallardo
Yovani Gallardo (pronounced gah-YAR-doh; born February 27, 1986) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft out of Trimble Technical High ...
on May 25, and recorded his first major league win, pitching scoreless innings with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts.
![Jimmy Nelson first hit 2014 Brewers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Jimmy_Nelson_first_hit_2014_Brewers.jpg)
On July 10, Nelson was recalled again to join the starting rotation in place of the home run-prone Marco Estrada. He got his first career base hit during his July 17 start. Nelson sustained an injury on September 17 against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
when
Tommy Pham
Thomas James Pham (born March 8, 1988) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston R ...
hit a line drive that ricocheted off his head. Nelson was able to leave the field in his own ability, and a
magnetic resonance image
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
(MRI) revealed a
contusion
A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur close ...
. In 2015 he had an ERA of 4.11 and shared the major league lead in
hit batsmen
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...
, with 13.
In 2016 he had an ERA of 4.62 and shared the major league lead in hit batsmen, with 17.
On September 8, 2017, Nelson suffered an apparent shoulder injury while sliding to first base, and left the game. The next day, on September 9, it was revealed that he was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain and a partial anterior labrum tear, meaning that he would take no further part in any action for the remainder of the 2017 season. Nelson finished the 2017 year with a 12–6 record, 199 strikeouts, and a 3.49 ERA.
On December 2, 2019, Nelson was non-tendered and became a free agent.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 7, 2020, Nelson signed a one-year, $1.25 million, contract with the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
that also included an option for 2021. On July 6, it was announced that Nelson would undergo surgery on his lower back and would miss the entire season.
On October 30, 2020, the Dodgers declined their team option on Nelson's contract for the season, making him a free agent without having thrown a pitch for the organization. On December 11, 2020, Nelson re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league contract. On March 25, 2021, Nelson was selected to the 40-man roster. Nelson pitched in 28 games for the Dodgers with a 1–2 record and a 1.86 ERA with 44 strikeouts and only 13 walks but he was unable to remain healthy. He missed 18 games with forearm inflammation and another 14 with a left lumbar strain before he was shutdown in early August when it was determined that he would need both
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
and a flexor tendon repair in his right arm.
On March 15, 2022, Nelson signed a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers, which contained a club option for the 2023 season. He remained on the injured list all season and the Dodgers declined his option.
On February 16, 2023, Nelson re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $1.2 million contract plus bonuses.
Scouting report
Nelson throws four pitches. He relies primarily on his sinker (95 mph), fourseam fastball (94 mph) and slider (84 mph). He also occasionally throws a change up (88 mph).
Personal life
Nelson married longtime girlfriend Melissa Conway on December 10, 2016, in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
.
References
External links
Alabama Crimson Tide bio*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Jimmy
1989 births
Living people
People from Klamath Falls, Oregon
Baseball players from Florida
Milwaukee Brewers players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Alabama Crimson Tide baseball players
Helena Brewers players
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players
Brevard County Manatees players
Huntsville Stars players
Phoenix Desert Dogs players
Nashville Sounds players
San Antonio Missions players
Major League Baseball pitchers