Brewers ace Ben Sheets will miss start with sore triceps

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 18, 2008, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

MILWAUKEE—Brewers ace Ben Sheets will skip his start on Wednesday because of soreness in his right triceps that caused him to leave his last start.

Sheets will be replaced in the rotation by Dave Bush, who got passed over Sunday when Yovani Gallardo returned from the 15-day disabled list.

"That's the plan," general manager Doug Melvin said Monday night before the Brewers started a two-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sheets (3-0) left his start against the Reds on Friday night after five scoreless innings. He first felt soreness in his right triceps eight days ago in a 5-3 win over the New York Mets and Johan Santana. The big right-hander with a history of injuries retired 18 in a row in that one.

Sheets is having one of the best Aprils of his career, with three earned runs allowed in four starts. He allowed a pair of singles and struck out four before leaving Friday night.

With Sheets missing his next start, he won't be scheduled to pitch again until next Tuesday in Chicago, the first of a nine-game road trip for Milwaukee after a day off on Monday.

That would give the 29-year-old ace in the final year of a $38.5 million, four-year contract 10 days to rest.

It also allows Bush to stay a starter after he was skipped in the rotation with the return of Gallardo. Bush has struggled so far, losing all three of his decisions with a 7.02 ERA, and the Brewers have six starting pitchers currently on the roster.

In the last two years, Sheets has been limited by a strained groin, a torn finger tendon, shoulder tendinitis and a sore chest muscle. The next few days will tell whether this is just temporary soreness or something that could land him on the disabled list.