Kyle

Nelson

Nelson hit free agency at the conclusion of last season after being removed from Arizona’s 40-man roster. The 29-year-old southpaw bolsters Atlanta’s organizational relief depth after posting a serviceable 4.34 ERA – 4.26 xERA – 1.31 WHIP and 115/45 K/BB ratio across 116 innings over 136 appearances in the majors since 2020.

The move clears space on the 40-man roster. Nelson could elect free agency, but he’s likely looking at a minor-league contract regardless and will need to be added back to a 40-man in order to pitch in the majors in 2026. The same can be applied to all parties named in the section above.

Nelson picked up his first career save over the weekend and heads back to the minors after making three appearances since being promoted back to the big leagues last Friday. The 29-year-old should be back at some point later this month.

It came in his 133rd career relief appearance. Nelson, who just made his season debut Friday, retired three of four batters, with a JJ Bleday homer mixed in. He was a surprising choice in the ninth, but it seems the Diamondbacks didn’t want to use Kevin Ginkel after he threw 20 pitches on Saturday. Kendall Graveman would probably be the top alternative to Ginkel in the Arizona pen, but he tossed a perfect eighth against the heart of the lineup today.

Nelson was designated for assignment at the start of July, but the left-hander stuck around the organization and now will have a chance to help the Diamondbacks’ bullpen for the final two months of the season.

Nelson has been booted from Arizona’s 40-man roster to make room for free agent Jake Woodford to sign a big-league deal. The 28-year-old southpaw has been hit hard in 20 relief appearances this season at Triple-A Reno after missing most of last year recovering from shoulder inflammation that led to surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

Nelson had a 4.18 ERA in 56 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2023 before missing most of last year due to shoulder inflammation that required surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. He’ll have to compete for a bullpen spot if healthy this spring.

The procedural move opens up a spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster as Nelson will undergo season-ending surgery to address Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

If Pearl’s name sounds familiar, he’s well-known for being one of the leading surgeons that perform operations for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The right-hander has been on the injured list since Tuesday with shoulder inflammation, and the consultation will likely determine whether or not Nelson needs to have an operation performed.

Nelson becomes the latest member of Arizona’s pitching staff to land on the injured list. The 27-year-old lefty heads to the shelf after making 11 relief appearances this season for the Diamondbacks. He made a career-high 68 appearances last year during the regular season.