Tim Hudson was scheduled to start Atlanta’s season finale, but with the Wild Card spot locked up the Braves will rest him for the playoffs and instead turn to Ben Sheets for Game 162 against the Pirates.
Sheets hasn’t pitched since August 24 because of a shoulder injury and told reporters that he’ll retire after tomorrow’s start.
Sheets made a helluva comeback after not pitching in the majors at all last season, starting eight games with a 3.54 ERA for the Braves when they really needed the rotation help, but the 33-year-old right-hander is apparently tired of dealing with the injuries that have repeatedly sidetracked his career.
He’s expected to pitch two innings tomorrow versus Pittsburgh in what will be his 250th career start. Sheets is a four-time All-Star and his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.59 is the fourth-best among all active pitchers with at least 1,500 innings behind only Dan Haren, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee.