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It looks like the 24-year old Brewers #1 prospect will make the spot start on Sunday against the Marlins if Yovani Gallardo can't go:
P Taylor Jungmann -- the #Brewers #6 prospect -- joins Sounds & will make Triple-A debut tonight; P Jimmy Nelson will not pitch tonight
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 23, 2014
Nelson has been absolutely destroying the competition at AAA so far. I'll let our own Alec Dopp provide the highlights:
Jimmy Nelson's rank among AAA SPs w/ 50 IP: 1.76 ERA (1st) .251 OBP (1st) 0.96 WHIP (2nd) 2.85 FIP (2nd) 26.6 K% (2nd) @joe_block #Brewers
— Alec Dopp (@alecdopp) May 18, 2014
It appears that whether Nelson is activated or not, Gallardo will not be placed on the Disabled List. If Nelson were to only be joining the team for one day, it would make sense to send down someone like Elian Herrera, and then option out Nelson the following day for a different position player. Herrera has not played in the infield for the big league club yet this year. If his versatility is limited to the 3 outfield spots, why not keep him down and call up someone like Caleb Gindl, who can play the corners and at least has a bigger bat? The club is clearly covered in center with Logan Schafer, and Herrera has not exactly been stellar defensively on the corners.
The larger issue here, though, is that Nelson is "ready". There's not much developmental reason to keep him in AAA now beyond the fact that they don't have a pressing need for him in the big league rotation. Four pitchers who are very major league caliber, although in very different situations-- Nelson, Mike Fiers, Jim Henderson, and Tom Gorzelanny-- currently are not on the major league roster, and decision time is coming soon.
Finally, we have to talk a bit about Taylor Jungmann, the former first round pick from Texas who is still only 24. He's had a bounceback stats-wise and is getting a crack at AAA, even if it's only for a start. Either way, it's an encouraging sign for a Brewers system that is looking more and more like it has more pitching depth that anyone could have imagined.