The Milwaukee Brewers' official objection to the inclusion of right-hander Ben Sheets on Team USA's provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic has been denied, leaving the possibility that he could pitch in the 16-nation tournament in March.
The Brewers objected to Sheets' inclusion on the roster because he missed the last six weeks of the 2005 season with a torn muscle behind his pitching shoulder. They plan to be cautious with him in spring training and think it could be hazardous for him to pitch for Team USA, which begins first-round play on March 7.
"It is a little bit disappointing because Ben didn't pitch in September," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Wednesday. "They sent back notice that he's still being considered. We'll see how it goes.
"Nobody knows if he'll be healthy then. We think he will be but we want to make sure."
During a visit to Milwaukee last weekend, Sheets said he wanted to pitch in the World Baseball Classic if at all possible. Sheets shut out Cuba in the gold medal game of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and would like the chance to pitch again in international competition.
Sheets' name was included on the 52-player provisional roster of Team USA, which will be trimmed to 30 before the start of the tournament. Players first will report to their respective teams' spring camps, then move to Team USA's training site in Phoenix around March 3.
Team USA manager Buck Martinez, who spoke with baseball writers on a conference call Wednesday, said he was aware of the potential conflict between Sheets and the Brewers. While acknowledging he could be caught in the middle, Martinez said no player would be kept who has health concerns.
"The challenge is to communicate," Martinez said. "I have talked with the Brewers. They expressed a plan for Ben to be ready to pitch in the regular season.
"He has a history with Team USA. At the same time, the club has concerns with his health. We need to stay in touch with Ben and how he feels. We're not there yet. I'm going to Arizona in the middle of February and check in with everybody. We don't have to submit our roster until March 2."
The Brewers have two major reasons to be concerned about Sheets' participation in the Classic. He is the ace of the pitching staff and must stay healthy if the Brewers are to continue moving forward and compete for a playoff berth after finishing .500 a year ago.
On the financial end, the club is paying Sheets $11.5 million this season, including $3 million from the signing bonus included in his four-year, $38.5 million contract last April. That figure represents the highest single-season pay in club history.
Melvin said he didn't want the situation to become a source of conflict between Sheets and the club. He also emphasized that he supports the Classic as a general manager.
"I'm in favor of the Classic," Melvin said. "In the end, they want to make sure that everybody is healthy, too.
"We'll wait until spring training and see how Ben is doing. Ben is the kind of guy who likes that competition. But I think he will use good judgment."
Melvin said such conflicts could be avoided in the future by adopting a rule that no player can compete in the Classic if he finished the previous season on the disabled list.
"Next time, they could make a rule that a pitcher has to pitch in the last 30 days of the (previous) season," Melvin said. "There will be some kinks like that, that need to be worked out."