Brewers' Jimmy Nelson says shoulder rehab going 'about as well as it could possibly go'

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson appeared Tuesday morning on the MLB Network's "Hot Stove" show and was very upbeat about his rehab from shoulder surgery.

"The rehab is going just about as well as it could possibly go, knock on wood," Nelson told show hosts Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds. "It has been a long offseason already but I definitely enjoy the challenge.

"The progress has been impressive, and I'm pretty proud of how far I've come already. I'm just really anxious to start a throwing program and get to spring training."

Nelson suffered a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder when he dislocated it diving back into first base after collecting a hit against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sept. 8. He later underwent surgery and is expected to miss a significant portion of the first half of the 2018 season. 

Nelson is not expected to begin his throwing program until spring training but has been all-in on his rehab, to the point of using a hyperbaric chamber in his recovery. Hyperbaric chambers provide oxygen therapy to promote healing at a pressure higher than the normal atmosphere.

"I researched it a little bit and bought one this offseason," he said. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to heal myself and get back, not only to where I was, but better. People ask, 'Do you think you'll get back to where you were?' Our goal is to get back better to where I was at.

"It's been long days this offseason but it has been paying off so far with how quick my progress has been, and where I'm at now, and how I'm feeling. I spend a couple of hours a day in that thing. It's definitely time consuming but I'm seeing benefits from it."

Nelson, 28, was having a breakthrough season at the time of the injury, going 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts, with 199 strikeouts in 175 innings. He was missed down the stretch as the Brewers fell short of the second NL wild-card berth by one victory, getting eliminated on the penultimate day of the season.

Asked by MLB Network contributor Ken Rosenthal if he thought the Brewers would have made the playoffs had he not been injured, Nelson joked, "Man, you're just pouring that salt in the wound" before saying "for sure."

"It was definitely frustrating; I wish I could have been out there with those guys," Nelson added. 

As for how far the team came heading into 2018, Nelson said, "We got along so well. It just jelled really well. ... That's what I'm excited about going into spring training."

The uncertainty of how much time Nelson will miss next season is part of the reason the Brewers have been on the hunt this winter for starting pitching. They have signed former Milwaukee right-hander Yovani Gallardo to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract and free-agent righty Jhoulys Chacin to a two-year, $15.5 million deal.

In other news, the Brewers traded minor-league right-hander Dylan Baker to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash. The Brewers had designated Baker for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for Chacin. They claimed Baker off waivers from Cleveland earlier in the offseason. 

The Brewers also are expected to announce soon a free-agent deal with left-handed reliever Boone Logan.