Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Dealing with bruised elbow
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Nelson exited Thursday's start against the Giants due to a right elbow contusion.
Nelson took a comebacker to his arm while recording the final out of the second inning and was forced to exit the game. It appears that he's avoided a fracture or other more serious injury, so it remains possible that he's available for his next turn through the rotation.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Early exit
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Nelson was forced to leave Thursday's start against the Giants after taking a comebacker to his right wrist in the second inning, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.
Nelson worked two scoreless innings while allowing two hits before exiting. The nature of the injury is currently unclear, though he'll likely undergo an MRI or X-ray to determine the severity of the damage.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Effective over six frames in win
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Nelson (1-2) earned the win over St. Louis on Saturday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out four batters over six-plus innings.
Nelson picked up his first victory and first quality start of the campaign with easily his best outing so far. The right-hander pitched into the seventh inning having thrown just 76 pitches but exited after giving up a single to Masyn Winn leading off the frame. Nelson gave up five runs (four earned) over 2.2 innings in his season debut April 1, but he's looked much better since then, surrendering four runs across his subsequent 11 frames.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Surrenders pair of homers in loss
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Nelson (0-2) took the loss Sunday against Atlanta, giving up three runs on five hits and no walks across five innings. He struck out seven.
Outside of solo homers allowed to Matt Olson and Michael Harris, Nelson held his own against one of MLB's top offenses. His strikeout total tied his career high, which was set in his first MLB appearance in September of 2022. While three runs over five innings won't quite right the ship after an awful debut, it's a step in the right direction for the 26-year-old, who's looking to improve upon his poor 5.31 ERA last season. However, he'll likely have only one more trip through the rotation with Jordan Montgomery shooting to join the big-league club as soon as April 19. For now, Nelson is projected for a date with the Cardinals on Saturday.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Stumbles in 2024 debut
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Nelson (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Yankees, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks across 2.2 innings. He struck out two.
The command Nelson showed in spring training went away in his regular-season debut. Just 43 of 76 pitches landed in the zone, and the right-hander was constantly behind and pitching with runners on base. Both Nelson and Tommy Henry have put up troubling starts the first time through the rotation and could be gone before long. Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) could return from the IL within the next few weeks and Jordan Montgomery (recently signed) begins ramping up in the minors this weekend. After logging a 5.31 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in his first full season as a starter in 2023, Nelson's performance Monday didn't exactly instill confidence for an improved 2024 campaign. He'll face another tough test in his next projected start, which is scheduled to come Sunday at Atlanta.
Nelson will begin the season in the rotation, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Nelson earned the No. 5 starter job with an impressive spring training, during which he pitched to a 2.66 ERA while striking out 26 over 20.1 innings. His primary competition for the job, left-hander Tommy Henry, will also be part of the rotation early on, as he will replace Eduardo Rodriguez (lat). Nelson was knocked around over 27 starts in 2023, but he showed improved strike-throwing ability during Cactus League competition.
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Five strong innings Friday
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Nelson allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out nine over five innings in Friday's spring start against the Mariners.
Nelson put the finishing touches on a promising spring. The right-hander finished the Cactus League with a 2.66 ERA, 26 strikeouts and seven walks over 20.1 innings (six starts). He led the competition for the final rotation spot and seems assured of one given the news that Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) will open the season on the injured list.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Works around walks
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Nelson allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out three over 3.2 innings in Saturday's spring start against the Rangers.
Nelson may have sewn up the fifth starter job with this effort. The three walks were the most he's allowed in five Cactus League starts, but he managed to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning. He was pulled from the game in the fourth inning only to come back and start the fifth, giving him five up-and-downs and a pitch count of 78, per Michael McDermott of SI.com. Both Nelson and Tommy Henry will get one more spring start before a decision is made as to which one will fill out the rotation.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Delivers in fourth start
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Nelson allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out two over 3.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Athletics.
Nelson kept pounding the strike zone, as the right-hander has done all spring, and he now sports a 3.09 ERA after four Cactus League starts. That includes just two walks and 14 strikeouts over 11.2 innings. The changeup was working Monday, per Jesse Borek of MLB.com, as Nelson elicited five whiffs on nine changeups. Nelson, who upped his pitch count to 66, has inched ahead of Tommy Henry to become Arizona's No. 5 starter.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Works into fourth inning
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Nelson allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two over three-plus innings in Tuesday's spring start against San Diego.
Nelson navigated around traffic through the first three innings but hit a road bump in the fourth, when he was pulled without retiring a batter after giving up a two-run single. Nelson and Tommy Henry have been locked in a battle for the No. 5 starter job, and the two pitchers have mirrored each other. Both had impressive outings the first two starts before each faced adversity the third time out. Nelson has allowed three runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out 12 over eight innings.
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Showcasing slider early
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Nelson worked on his slider over the offseason, and it's looked sharp early in camp, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Coming off Arizona's loss in the World Series, manager Torey Lovullo told Nelson that he needed to be able to throw his slider more and not be so fastball reliant. The right-hander focused on it and has looked good through two spring starts. Nelson threw two scoreless innings with five strikeouts in his first outing and followed that up with one run allowed and another five strikeouts over three innings Thursday. "It's a focus on trying to keep [opposing hitters] off balance, keep them guessing and make sure that they can't just key on the fastball," Nelson said. "When I'm just pumping heaters in there, it's pretty easy to lock in." The battle for the final spot in the rotation should come down to Nelson or Tommy Henry, who has also impressed through two Cactus League outings. Slade Cecconi is also in the mix but struggled Friday when he allowed two runs on five hits and a walk over two innings in his second appearance.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Answers Henry in rotation bid
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Nelson allowed two hits and struck out five over two scoreless innings in Saturday's spring start against the Rockies.
Nelson's 33-pitch performance was the talk of the post-game discussion. The right-hander threw mostly fastballs and sliders and induced eight swing-and-misses. "The velocity looked like it was spiking," manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. "He started mixing in a really quality secondary pitch with that slider, I know that was something I've been emphasizing. I know he's been working hard on it and he got a ton of swing-and-miss." It was an impressive showing for Nelson, who logged a 15.5 strikeout percentage (sixth percentile per Statcast) and 6.0 K/9 in 2023. It was also a timely response after Tommy Henry's impressive Cactus League debut Friday. Nelson and Henry are seen as the main competitors for the final spot in the rotation.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Starting Saturday
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Nelson will take the mound for Saturday's spring start against the Rockies, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Nelson is competing for the No. 5 starter job with several others. One of those competitors is Tommy Henry, who submitted two scoreless innings in Friday's Cactus League opener.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Part of rotation competition
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Nelson is expected to compete with Tommy Henry for the final spot in the rotation, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
The top three in the rotation are set -- Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez -- and it looks like Brandon Pfaadt has the edge for the No. 4 spot, leaving Nelson and Henry to compete for the back end. Nelson spent the first four-and-a-half months of the 2023 season as part of the rotation before an August demotion. He returned to the Diamondbacks in September and made three postseason appearances as a reliever. Nelson recorded an 8-8 record and 5.31 ERA over 144 innings (29 appearances, 27 starts) with 96 strikeouts and 46 walks during the regular season.
Nelson allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three over 3.1 innings in a no-decision in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Cubs.
Nelson needed 75 pitches (40 strikes) to get his 10 outs. He was at least able to keep the the scoring against him down after allowing at least six runs in three of his previous four outings. The right-hander is now at a 5.53 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 91:44 K:BB through 138.1 innings over 27 starts. His previous high in innings across all levels was 154.1 last year, a mark he's passed at 160 this season, so his recent struggles may come down to workload. For now, he's tentatively lined up for a road start versus the Yankees next weekend.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Hit hard in Tuesday's loss
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Nelson (7-8) took the loss Tuesday, coughing up six runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings as the Diamondbacks were downed 7-4 by the Mets. He struck out three.
Four of the seven hits off the right-hander went for extra bases, including Ronny Mauricio's first career home run and Pete Alonso's 44th blast of the season. Nelson has been tagged for six runs in three of his four big-league starts since the beginning of August, staggering to a 10.69 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through 16 innings over that stretch, and with Arizona fighting to hang onto a wild-card spot, manager Torey Lovullo may have to consider other options for the fifth spot in his rotation.
