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Ben Sheets is back on the disabled list, and he might not come off it this year. The oft-injured Oakland starter has been having trouble with his elbow -- the same one that kept him out all of last season as he rehabbed from surgery -- and will miss at least the next two weeks. But the prognosis could be much worse than that.
Asked by a San Francisco Chronicle reporter if he could be out for the season, Sheets replied, "I might be."
The A's recalled Cedrick Bowers to take Sheets' roster spot for now, but Dallas Braden will return from the disabled list and start in Sheets' place Sunday. The injury-wracked A's also expect to get lefty Brett Anderson back soon; he'll make a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Sacramento.
Of course, injuries are nothing new for Sheets, who turned 32 last week. He has spent much of the last five years trying to stay healthy after beginning his career as a workhorse.
It's difficult to remember now, but during a three-season stretch from 2002-04, Sheets was one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball. He made 34 starts for the Brewers in each of those campaigns, throwing at least 216 innings every year. He was flat-out dominant in 2004, posting a 2.70 ERA and walking just 32 while striking out 264 in 237 innings.
Of course, that kind of usage before the age of 25 might have had something to do with Sheets' inability to stay healthy since then. Though until this season he had remained effective when on the mound, he simply hasn't been able to take the ball as often as he did in his younger days. His injury takes one more potential trade deadline chip off the market , on the heels of David DeJesus' season-ending thumb injury suffered earlier this week. Sheets, who is making $10 million this year, will be a free agent after the season, and it's difficult to see anybody guaranteeing him much of anything next season.
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