Is Sheets coming back at all?

[bklynbrewcrew]

From all I have read and Sheets comments himself I wonder if Sheets will be back anywhere near the Sept 1 target date. He seems to be taking things really slow and I wonder when he is coming back. I think Will Carroll said recently that Sheets has barely begun throwing and that he wont be back by Sept 1. At this point I am wondering if Sheets even wants to come back and exactly when he will return. We desperately need him in the rotation as soon as possible but I fear that we wont be able to count on him at all this season. The way the rotation is looking at this point I wonder if we can win this division without our ace.

[brewtank34]

to say that he doesn't want to come back is, I'm sorry, an ignorant thing to say. From what I've heard is that he's started to throw from level ground and his arm feels good. He just needs to get the feeling back in his fingers. He'll be back...and he's going to put us over the top. Simple as that.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I take back what I said about Sheets not coming back but he always seems to return later than expected from injuries. With the season in the balance I hope he returns as soon as possible.

[Lil Dummy]

Questioning Sheets desire to return doesn't make sense. It's a frustrating injury from a guy who is no stranger to frustrating injuries, but he's been a Brewer long enough to understand that this season is a special opportunity. No doubt it's eating him up that he can't take the ball every five days. As to whether he will return this year, I'd say it's a fair (and interesting) question.

What little I've heard of this injury is that in the past guys have tried to rush back from it too quickly, and they've been really ineffective. If anyone has anything tangible to report, either on Sheets' progress, or the injury in general, feel free to share.

[Ennder]

I take back what I said about Sheets not coming back but he always seems to return later than expected from injuries. With the season in the balance I hope he returns as soon as possible.

 

He was supposed to be out 8-12 months with his injury in 2005, he pushed hard and tried to come back early and ended up reinjuring himself. I somehow doubt the problem is caused by Sheets not trying to come back.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I was wrong for questioning Sheets desire to come back and for that I apologize but I do wonder if he will pitch again this season. I also doubt if we can hang on without him.

[JJHardy7]

I don't think I'd question whether he wants to come back. I do question whether the Brewers will want him back after next year, but that's another topic. I'm guessing he'll make 1-2 rehab starts also. Is there any new timetable? I'd be excited if he can make a rehab start yet this month.

[Invader3K]

I'm guessing we don't see him before the end of the season, due to lack of any real progress reports at this point.

[DHonks]

to be honest, we need Ben if we want to do some damage in the post-season. If he's back around Sept 15th, but healthy in the playoffs, that's better than having him come back early and re-damaging the finger

[dvoiss]

to be honest, we need Ben if we want to do some damage in the post-season. If he's back around Sept 15th, but healthy in the playoffs, that's better than having him come back early and re-damaging the finger

The question is can we make the playoffs without him? The smart money would say no unless somebody else steps up.

[Ennder]

I want him back next year, he had his first injury in 2005, 2006 was an extension of the same injury and then in 2007 he had a very normal can happen to anyone type finger injury. People love to jump all over that injury prone tag, they did the same thing with jenkins when he got hurt back to back. Sheets does not have an injury history that suggests he will be hurt again in 2008, he's no more likely than any other power curveball pitcher. In fact this years injury probably helped him as he didn't abuse his arm this season and can ease back into 200 IP next season.

[TauPentaRei]

So Zumaya's finger tendon tear occured 5/6... and I am trying to figure out their trainers'/doctors' initial return timetable prognosis.

 

Detroit's Sunday paper mentioned he would throw three 1 inning rehab stints before coming back - aiming for 8/21.

 

A whopping 15+ weeks from tearing the tendon getting warmed up to returning to Comerica's bullpen!

 

Now, Zumaya's was a full tear and Sheets' was a partial tear, correct?

 

I guess I always thought that by now Major League Baseball could have some of that Star Wars hospital regeneration machine equipment to just re-grow limbs and stuff. Stick that middle finger in some DNA-ionization bath and get out there and pitch. Open up that digi and replace it with a bio-engineered spider web strength monkey tendon... (from the Astros' broadcast this injury is common to rock climbers)

 

Anyone able to pitch a semi-MLB curveball in this forum who can speak on behalf of what does more work: the wrist or the fingers? Seems to me the pressure pointing of fingers on the ball - in the Wizard Madduxian sense - are critical to command, control and movement.

 

EVERY pre-season prognostication was seemingly spot-on: this team will only go as far as Ben Sheets takes it.

 

Never more true than now.

[hauser42]

I want him back next year, he had his first injury in 2005, 2006 was an extension of the same injury and then in 2007 he had a very normal can happen to anyone type finger injury. People love to jump all over that injury prone tag, they did the same thing with jenkins when he got hurt back to back. Sheets does not have an injury history that suggests he will be hurt again in 2008, he's no more likely than any other power curveball pitcher. In fact this years injury probably helped him as he didn't abuse his arm this season and can ease back into 200 IP next season.

 

In 2008 Sheets will blow his knee out after signing an extension with the Brewres. All these injuries are not related he is going through the same thing Molly went through early in his career. IMO just because injuries are not relates doesn't mean a guy is not injury prone. Some guys play hard and get banged up a lot, others just dont have bodies that can last the whole season.

 

Hope Sheets is back this season because he can help the Brewers at a great post season.

[BillScottCanRake]

During the broadcast either on Saturday or Sunday it was mentioned that Sheets was still on schedule to return in 2-3 weeks. I suspect that by "return" they mean ready to begin his rehab start(s).

 

Just how many rehab starts he'll need is anyones guess, but two seems likely, tho they might be able to get by with one if he's been able to throw enough with that splint.

 

If we go with two rehab starts, and Sheets returns in two weeks, he'd be ready to pitch in Milwaukee (with no setbacks) on September 5th. If it's three weeks, it would be September 12.

[Pioneers3]

Anyone able to pitch a semi-MLB curveball in this forum who can speak on behalf of what does more work: the wrist or the fingers? Seems to me the pressure pointing of fingers on the ball - in the Wizard Madduxian sense - are critical to command, control and movement.

I wouldn't call mine semi-MLB but I have worked with pitchers who have plus CB's in the past, the middle finger is what you use to put pressure on the seam of the ball, the tighter the pressure the tighter the spin, which Sheets has a pretty tight 12-6 CB, if he can't feel his fingers or put pressure on the seam he wouldn't be able to throw it at all, it wouldn't affect his fastball grips all that much, as I never griped those with much tightness, moving my thumb was what got my movement and a little pressure on a certain seam, but it would screw up his CB big time!

[lukevan]

The middle and index fingers are what make the curveball. The two fingers are slightly crooked on the ball and to make it bend, essentially all the pressure on the ball come from the tips of those two fingers (the thumb just rests on the seam on the bottom of the ball).

I've had this injury before as well and it makes it pretty much impossible to bend the finger the way you need to. I don't think there should be a problem coming back from it however, as long as it he doesn't come back too early. IMAO, once it heals all should be well.

[BillScottCanRake]

Now, Zumaya's was a full tear and Sheets' was a partial tear, correct?

 

I believe that Zumaya tore a tendon, while Sheet's injured the tissue around the tendon. I think that's the difference between the two injuries.

[brewcrewnation]

Accoring to jsonline new Brewers blog, threw in the Brewers bullpen and threw is fastball and changeup without a wrap on his finger and Doug said he is on target.

[brewcrewnation]

also on jsonline new blog it list all of the brewers we sites icluding brewerfan.net.

[BadgerFan]

We need to learn to automatically add 6-8 weeks to whatever the given timetable is for Ben to return from injury. Seriously, when has he ever come back on or before the "goal" date.

[Ennder]

We need to learn to automatically add 6-8 weeks to whatever the given timetable is for Ben to return from injury. Seriously, when has he ever come back on or before the "goal" date.

 

Actually he came back earlier than expected in 2006 and it was probably a mistake. He missed less than was expected with his blister too. Players get hurt, if you can't get over that you'll never make it as a baseball fan.

[RU Rah Rah]

JS reporting today (Weds.) that he apparently threw hard in a practice session, without a wrapping on the finger. (So that's good news.)

 

"Unlike past sessions, Sheets threw without taping the finger. He threw his fastball with more velocity and even tossed some of his trademark curveballs."

[lukevan]

Great news, I didn't really expect him to be this far along until a week or two from now. We really need Benny back as soon as he's healthy. Even if he's good for just one more win than we would've got without him, it could prove to be the difference.

[BillScottCanRake]

We need to learn to automatically add 6-8 weeks to whatever the given timetable is for Ben to return from injury. Seriously, when has he ever come back on or before the "goal" date.

Twice this year alone. He didn't miss any starts when he tweaked his groin or got a blister. In both cases, it was iffy as to whether he'd make his next start, and in both cased he was good to go five days later.

[rluzinski]

Twice this year alone. He didn't miss any starts when he tweaked his groin or got a blister. In both cases, it was iffy as to whether he'd make his next start, and in both cased he was good to go five days later.

 

And of course, predictions of long stints on the DL were made by many in those situations, as well. Same was true for Hall's ankle. A guy could get a hang nail and someone would predict the guy was going to be out for the year. I guess if you predict every injury is going to take longer to heal than the best guess estimate, you'll be right about half the time, by definition.