Posted by Steve
The Brewers thankfully broke their losing streak and played a very nice game tonight, but they were once again hit with bad news. When Ben Sheets left the game after the second inning, “forearm tightness” didn’t seem right to me after that shot of him rubbing right above the back of his elbow.
Still, I was shocked to hear that Sheets has been fighting elbow problems for “awhile” and even received an injection a couple weeks ago. An MRI taken at some point before tonight’s game showed no structural damage, but who knows after tonight. A few things come to mind here.
First, all those high-pitch count starts that Yost sent him out for. He was one of the most abused pitchers in baseball this season–after an injury-shortened season last year, no less–and it has taken its toll.
Second, I hope people who rip Sheets for not being tough and pitching through nagging injuries can soften their stance a bit. I swear, some people act like the guy likes to get hurt.
Third, this is just incredibly damaging to the team if Sheets is done for the year. Not much of an explanation should be needed to back that up.
Finally, I’m going to be selish. This is incredibly disappointing for me personally. I am going to the game on Tuesday and planned to see my favorite Brewer in person for possibly the final time. It’s looking like I won’t get that chance, and I can’t really describe how disheartening that is.
