As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers declined Jimmy Nelson's $2-million club option for the 2021 season, the club announced Friday. Nelson is the eighth Dodger to hit free agency after the team won the World Series on Tuesday.
Nelson, 31, didn't throw a pitch for the Dodgers. He signed with the team in January as a reclamation project after shoulder injuries limited him to 10 games over the previous two seasons. He reported to spring training healthy but was shut down early because of back and groin injuries. He underwent season-ending lumbar surgery in July.
The right-hander enjoyed his best major league season in 2017 when he recorded a 3.48 earned-run average in 175 1/3 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers. He finished ninth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. He sustained his shoulder injuries sliding headfirst at the end of the season and hasn't stayed healthy since.
