The Atlanta Braves wanted another starting pitcher, but a deal to acquire Cubs ace Ryan Dempster fell through before the July 31 trade deadline. The right-hander ended up going to the Texas Rangers.
The deadline has passed, but the Braves may have found the perfect veteran righty to help the staff in-house.
A four-time All-Star returned from injury in mid-July. But the former ace was Ben Sheets, who hadn’t pitched in two years, and the injury — a torn flexor tendon, a torn ulnar collateral ligament and damage to the pronator tendon — was thought to be career ending. To put it simply, Sheets’ elbow was a mess, and it would take a medical miracle for the former All-Star to pitch again in the majors.
Well, the 34-year-old is defying the odds. In four starts with the Braves, Sheets is 3-1 with a 1.46 ERA and 23 strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Dempster allowed eight earned runs in 42Ú3 innings in his first outing with the Rangers.
Maybe the Braves made the right choice going with the medical miracle.
– Jeffrey Tomik
