So he continues to rehab with hopes of pitching in 2020.

“It’s been a slow healing process,” Nick said, via a telephone interview from his home in Dallas, Texas. “This is one of those injuries you don’t want to get as a pitcher.”

According to Nick, the lat is located in the lower extremity of the shoulder and is described as a decelerator muscle.

“When you’re releasing the baseball, it’s the main component – or muscle – that slows down the arm,” he explained. “I tore that at the beginning of last year.”

Nick began his rehab assignment last June. From then through January 2020, he worked out in Dallas. From February through March, he was then at the Rangers’ training facility in Surprise, Arizona, which is about 40 miles from Phoenix.

For the last month, he has been back in Dallas and says things are progressing.

“I’ve been throwing a little and everything seems fine,” Nick said. “We have re-evaluated what the shoulder looks like and the tests have been coming back clean. I should be good to go. But it’s a little tough to decide right now if I should continue throwing or give it more time, especially since all we have right now is time.”

In seven minor league seasons, Nick has an overall record of 23-18 with a 3.71 ERA. As a reliever, he has converted 17 of 22 save opportunities. In his two trips to the Majors, he has made 15 appearances and sports an ERA of 4.85.

The Rangers issued a statement to the players in their system to stay at home due to the concerns of coronavirus.

“But my situation is a little different than most,” Nick said. “Since I’m going through rehab, the Rangers worked it out for me to go to TMI Sports in Dallas five days a week to continue my rehab. But the protocols are in place like everywhere else. They take my temperature and I wear a mask.

“Other than that, I practice social distancing and I don’t go out much, except to walk the dog with my fiancée,” Nick added. “If we need anything, the Rangers bring it to us.”

As for the upcoming season, Nick doesn’t know what to expect.

“If baseball season does open, it will be modified; very modified,” he noted. “It will be weird playing without fans, but we’ll still do our job and go about it the right way. We know everybody will be watching on TV.”

And as for his future?

“It all depends on how my throwing program goes,” he said. “I’ve been in contact with the team quite a bit the last couple months, discussing the team’s plans for my future. My best guess right now is I’ll be assigned to Nashville.”

The Nashville Sounds are now the AAA affiliate of the Rangers.

“I just want to make sure I’m healthy this year and we’ll see what happens,” Nick said.