PHOENIX — Game 3 starter or a difference-maker in the bullpen, Ryne Nelson’s role for the Arizona Diamondbacks is once again up for discussion with October around the corner.
Nelson continues to work back from right shoulder inflammation, which put him on the injured list retroactive to Sept. 11. The right-hander is eligible to return this weekend for the final series of the regular season against the San Diego Padres.
The ballclub will evaluate his progress in the meantime to determine how to use him. Nelson threw a 16-pitch bullpen on Saturday and plans to throw 25 pitches on Tuesday at Chase Field.
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“His stuff is coming out real aggressive. Just resting the right shoulder, becoming asymptomatic, which has happened and we’ll see what tomorrow yields,” Lovullo said. “And everybody wants to know, will he be a starter when he comes back? Will he be reliever? We’re not sure. We just gotta find our way to that spot. When we get there, we’ll start to make some of those decisions.”
Nelson had been Arizona’s most consistent starter since July 1 when he went on the IL, owning a 3.16 ERA in 79.1 frames over that stretch. He’s found a lot more success with the secondary arsenal off his heater to work deep into games consistently. He also beat out veteran Jordan Montgomery for a starting job when the team dealt with a roster crunch in the rotation.
Zac Gallen is probable to start Wednesday, leaving Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Nelson as options for the final weekend. Arizona entered Monday two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the final Wild Card spot with six games remaining.
“It’s probably gonna be based on how (Nelson) feels and what he can give us, and what that pitch total gets to,” Lovullo said. “We’re not going to run him out there and start for 35 pitches if that’s what the number is. We’ll put it all into the search engine, if it spits something out that’s positive and a big number, we may. If not, we might have him piggyback or come out of the bullpen.
“He’s a weapon. We want to find the best way to use him as a weapon.”
Lovullo said it’s possible Nelson could jump from 25 pitches to 50 in a game, as missing minimal time has kept him stretched out to a degree where it would not take long to build back up.
Gallen is lined up for Game 1 of a Wild Card Series if the D-backs get there. Kelly is expected to be the Game 2 starter and there are decisions to make for the third game.
Rodriguez and Pfaadt have had their ups and downs over the past month but entered Monday’s action coming off their best starts of the season. Rodriguez and Pfaadt have another start against the San Francisco Giants before the final series of the season, perhaps another evaluation input for these decisions.
Needing only four starters in the postseason anyway — ironically the D-backs have an extra starter as opposed to last year when they suffered from a deficit — someone is going to have a different role to stack innings in October if the D-backs make it.
The bullpen, meanwhile, has a league-worst 6.84 ERA in September in 73.2 innings — a number that ballooned after six earned runs from the bullpen in Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Texas Rangers rank No. 29 at 5.65.
Arizona has its group of trusted relievers, a corps that has had its share of hiccups this month — excluding A.J. Puk. Nelson presents an opportunity to expand those options for Lovullo with someone who had been pitching with excellent form and can go multiple innings.
Yet another storyline to watch over this final week of the season.