General manager David Sterns said Wednesday that the Brewers are "running out of time" to get Nelson (shoulder) back in the fold this season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Nelson is continuing to gradually work his way back from September shoulder surgery, but it's becoming apparent that a return this season is unlikely. Although Nelson has officially spent time on the mound in recent weeks, he's yet to truly advance to pitching off a raised surface, since the extent of his sessions are basically just him playing catch off the mound. Sterns refrained from ruling Nelson out for the rest of the year, but he will need to make a lot of progress over the next few weeks to have a chance at returning in 2018. Sterns added that Nelson may pitch this offseason in either the instructional league or the Arizona Fall League if he is unable to come off the DL this season.