Just when it seems the A's disabled list reaches full capacity, there turns out to be room for another member.Right-hander Ben Sheets was placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday because of a strained right elbow, not only robbing the A's of their most experienced starter but also taking away their best bargaining chip with the non-waiver trade deadline approaching.
The A's would not speculate as to how much time Sheets might miss, but the veteran pitcher expressed concern about whether he will be able to return this season.
That news put a damper on an otherwise encouraging afternoon as the A's walloped the Chicago White Sox 10-2 at the Oakland Coliseum.
Sheets developed swelling in his elbow following his last start Monday against Boston, an outing in which his velocity was noticeably lower than in previous starts.
It's not an encouraging development considering he missed all of the 2009 season after having surgery on the elbow to repair a torn flexor tendon.
Sheets is 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 20 starts, and although his numbers haven't been pretty, a silver lining was that he appeared healthy most of the season and was eating up innings.
But he revealed Saturday that he hasn't felt 100 percent all season long.
"From how I felt before the spring, I thought it'd keep getting better," he said. "I just never turned the corner. It's just kind of stayed the same. It's really been up and down, up and down. There haven't been many days that I've felt normal."
The inner part of Sheets' elbow was noticeably swollen Saturday morning. He's been examined by the A's medical staff, but he'll get a second opinion this week from Texas Rangers team physician Keith Meister, whom Sheets worked with during his offseason rehabilitation.
The A's signed Sheets, 32, to a one-year, $10 million contract in January, rolling the dice that he would return to the form that made him a four-time All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The thought was that if the A's weren't in contention as next Saturday's non-waiver trade deadline approached, Sheets would be an attractive trading chip. However, teams aren't allowed to trade players on the DL.
Sheets' injury continues a theme this season, as the A's have a large chunk of their payroll tied up in veterans with questionable injury histories who haven't stayed healthy.
Center fielder Coco Crisp was given a one-year, $5.25 million deal but missed 70 of the first 72 games with a broken pinkie and a strained rib cage.
Designated hitter Eric Chavez, making $12 million in the final season of a six-year deal, has played in just 33 games because of two bulging disks in his neck. Right-hander Justin Duchscherer, making an affordable $1.75 million, was lost in May to what's likely a season-ending hip injury.
"With every injury, there will certainly be an attrition when it comes to performance," A's general manager Billy Beane said. "It's not just (Sheets') injury, it's all the injuries. "... You look at a club like the Red Sox, a great, great club. They've lost players, and it's having an impact on them."
The A's rotation has held up well despite injuries, and right-hander Vin Mazzaro's effort against Chicago was proof of that.
Mazzaro (6-2) allowed just three hits and two earned runs over six innings, winning his fourth straight decision.
The A's (49-48) are now 71/2 games behind American League West-leading Texas.
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