Jimmy Nelson in Arizona early, throws first bullpen session of spring

Official team workouts don’t begin until later this week, but the players are already starting to trickle in to the newly-named American Family Fields of Phoenix to get some work in.

That includes Jimmy Nelson, who will be one of the most closely-watched players on the Brewers roster this spring. More than a year removed from his last big league appearance, Nelson got on a mound today and got some work in, throwing more than 40 pitches without holding anything back.

Throwing a bullpen isn’t necessarily new for Nelson, as he started throwing them late last season before going into his normal offseason routine. Still, it’s an encouraging sign that he’s “ready” enough to come in early and throw his entire repertoire.

Of course, this comes with the caveats that we don’t know what the velocity readings were (if they were even recorded for this) or how sharp his location was, and we’ll have to wait and see how Nelson feels in a day or two after throwing that many pitches. Even with that in mind, it looks like a step in the right direction toward Nelson actually getting into a competitive game setting.

It’s also some good news for Nelson at a time where he might need it. After Brewers On Deck, Nelson announced that his unborn twins have a rare condition called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and that his wife, Melissa, was undergoing a laser procedure in an attempt to save the twins’ lives. That procedure reportedly went well, but Melissa is still in Houston getting care while Jimmy is in Arizona.

Here’s to hoping there’s more good news on the way for the Nelsons.