Adam McCalvy posted an interview with injured starter Jimmy Nelson on Brewers.com earlier today, and their discussion was incredibly encouraging. Nelson's breakout season in 2017 (175.1 IP, 3.49 ERA, 76 DRA-, 10.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9) was cut short on September 19th when he underwent surgery for a torn labrum, an injury he suffered while running the bases during a start against the Cubs. The recovery period for a labrum injury is typically quite lengthy, and Nelson was originally scheduled to begin a throwing program at the start of Spring Training and then hopefully come back at some point late during the 2018 season. But according to Nelson, his recovery is about a month ahead of schedule and he tells McCalvy that he'll begin throwing instead on this coming Friday. Nelson attributes his speedy recovery in part to his use of a hyperbaric chamber in addition to his workout and rehab regimen and improved diet. There's still not an official timeline as to when we can expect him to return to action during the upcoming season, and there's certainly no guarantee that he'll be as effective as he was in 2017. But if Jimmy Nelson can get back on a big league mound by, say, July and come anywhere close to being the pitcher he was last year, it'd be almost like acquiring a rotation upgrade at the trade deadline that doesn't require giving up prospects. (Statistics courtesy of Baseball Prospectus)