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Braves' Sheets to debut Sunday
Braves Sheets Basebal Heal
Ben Sheets makes his first appearance since 2010 with the Mississippi Braves, a Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, in this July 4, 2012, file photo taken in Pearl, Miss. Sheets, who has been out of the majors for two years because of an elbow injury, will start for the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. - photo by Associated Press


    ATLANTA — Ben Sheets is ready to return to the majors for the first time in two years.
    Capping a long comeback from elbow surgery, the former Milwaukee ace will start for the Atlanta Braves on Sunday against the New York Mets.
    "Everything's working," Sheets said Thursday. "Everything's feeling great. I've been throwing the ball good. Keep making good pitches, you'll get outs."
    Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez liked what he saw from Sheets during a bullpen session before Atlanta's off-day workout at Turner Field.
    "I wasn't watching anything other than that he felt good and all of a sudden, 'Oh, my shoulder's sore or my arm's sore,'" Gonzalez said. "But he was fine and threw some pretty good curveballs."
    The Braves will make a roster move before Sheets' first big league start since he and the Oakland Athletics lost, 2-1, to Boston on July 19, 2010.
    After that start, Sheets landed on the disabled list for the seventh time in his career, undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and torn elbow ligament.
    Atlanta signed Sheets, who turns 34 on Wednesday, to a minor league contract July 1. He made two starts for Double-A Mississippi, going 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. In eight seasons with Milwaukee and one with Oakland, the right-hander is 90-92 with a 3.79 ERA in 241 career starts.
    Gonzalez hopes Sheets can go five innings Sunday, but does not want him to surpass about 88 pitches.
    "He's really, really pumped up about pitching again," Gonzalez said. "You don't always get a second chance, and I think him two years of not pitching and then getting a little taste of it, I think is going to be good."
    Sheets expects to feel some anxiety before making his Atlanta debut.
    "It's always nerves, man," he said. "It's always going to be nerves no matter where you're coming from or where you've been."
    The Braves' rotation has been in flux since Brandon Beachy tore a ligament in his right elbow and underwent season-ending surgery June 25.
    Jair Jurrjens is 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA since returning from a demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, but Randall Delgado and Mike Minor have struggled with inconsistency.
    Tim Hudson, who pitched opposite Mets right-hander Chris Young on Friday night, has had two cortisone shots to relieve the pain from bone spurs in his left ankle. His second shot was July 6 after his 5-0 win at Philadelphia.