August 15, 2012

BP Unfiltered

Ben Sheets' Dead Body

by Ben Lindbergh

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Every pitcher goes through the occasional "dead arm" period, most often early in the season. But when you've spent 345 career days (and two entire seasons) on the disabled list, the way Ben Sheets has, you need a stronger way to describe it:

After Sheets gave up five runs in six innings Sunday night against the Mets, broadcasters suggested he might be experiencing “dead arm” a common phenomenon pitchers go through during spring training as they get their arms in shape.

But Sheets said Tuesday he would characterize it more as “dead body” now that he’s six starts into his comeback after two years out of baseball following multiple elbow operations.

“My whole body felt dead,” Sheets said. “I was like ‘Weekend at Bernie’s' guy. I was like Bernie.”

Zombie Sheets will rise again on the fifth day, when he's scheduled to start against the Dodgers. The best news for the Braves: Sheets, who's survived a serious injury or two in his time, characterized his body being dead as "normal soreness."

Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
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