3:39pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman talked to Sheets’ agent Casey Close, who said his client will have elbow surgery. Sheets hopes for a July or August return. Tom Haudricourt says Sheets expects the Brewers to pay for the procedure.
1:56pm: ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the surgery Sheets is considering has a standard 9-10 month recovery time, jeopardizing his 2009 season. Stark adds that "some teams that had pursued Sheets this winter seemed to be more concerned about his shoulder than his elbow."
Ken Rosenthal says Sheets is "seriously considering" surgery, with the goal of pitching in the second half.
12:45pm: According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and T.R. Sullivan, Ben Sheets has a torn flexor tendon in his elbow that might require surgery. There is some debate as to whether the Brewers would have to pay for the procedure. The Rangers and Sheets agreed to a two-year deal last week, but the physical threw a wrench into it. GM Jon Daniels says he’s not optimistic at this point.
The injury first surfaced late in the ’08 season, but until Sheets’ physical with the Rangers it was thought that rehab would be sufficient. As many readers have pointed out, if Sheets has surgery and signs after the June draft he’ll no longer cost a draft pick to sign.
