Jimmy Nelson to have surgery on injured shoulder Tuesday

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson gets hurt sliding back into first base Sept. 8 against the Cubs.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson will have surgery on his injured right shoulder Tuesday in Los Angeles but won’t know until afterward how long his recovery time might be.

Orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic will perform the surgery on Nelson, who suffered an anterior labrum tear and rotator cuff strain Sept. 8 in Chicago while diving head-first back into first base after collecting a hit.

“He said it’s going to be an arthroscopic debridement, so basically he has to get the debris out of there,” Nelson said Friday before the Brewers' game against the Miami Marlins. “Once he gets in there, he’ll have a better look at anything else he thinks he needs to repair.

“He said the debridement is pretty standard; that’s got to happen. So, that’s all I know for now. I won’t really know what he fixed or decided to leave alone and let heal, and rehab until I’m done with the procedure. It depends on what he does when he gets in there.”

In other words, Nelson’s rehab timeline will depend on how extensive the procedure is.

“Over-correcting or over-fixing something can be just as bad, if something is tightened too much,” said Nelson, who was examined by ElAttrache on Wednesday.

“This isn’t a ‘slap’ tear or full tear. It’s an area of the shoulder that doesn’t deal with deceleration, so it’s a little bit different case than just your normal pitcher’s labrum tear that happens from years of wear and tear.

“He’s one of the best, so I trust his judgment when he gets in there. He’s going to do whatever is best for my career in the long run."

"It’s good news because there’s a chance that once he gets in there, and cleans it up, he might feel the labrum doesn’t need to be fixed, that I could rehab it and be just as good that way.

"If that’s the case, I’ll be back a lot sooner as opposed to if he fixes the labrum. The big thing is him getting his eyes on it and go from there. Right now, it’s optimistic news because he wasn’t 100% set on thinking certain things had to be repaired.”

Nelson, 28, was having a breakthrough year at the time of the injury, going 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts, with 199 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings. If it turns out he does not have to miss time at the start of next season, it would be a big boost for him and the club.