In a stunning turn of events, Athletic's pitcher Ben Sheets has already managed to find a way to injure himself. Ben Sheets was ecstatic about joining his new ball-club and getting things started in Spring Training. He was hoping to get off on the right foot, but he literally didn't.
A's outfielder Coco Crisp decided to report to Spring Training early also this year. Reports state that, on the bus ride to the A's spring training facility, Ben Sheets was cracking jokes about the new A's outfielder. Crisp was not taking the jokes too lightly and decided to take matters into his own hands.
As Sheets was getting off of the bus, Crisp decides to trip him in front of the other players reporting early. Sheets hit the ground hard and needed medical assistance to get back up.
When asked what occurred, Sheets said he might have been tripped by Crisp on his way out. Crisp flat out denies the allegations and says, "Ben must've tripped on his shoelaces while exiting the bus. I had nothing to do with the accident."
Crisp's story seems unlikely because Sheets was wearing Crocs while on the bus. The A's have not made an announcement as to what the punishment for Crisp would be if he is discovered to be the culprit of the problem.
A's manager Bob Geren said, "We are hoping Sheets' injury is not too serious. The team is very excited to have him, and we are expecting him to make great contributions to this team's success in 2010. An injury like this could derail us, but we are hoping that he can come out strong in the end."
The team's doctor said that it looks like Sheets might have broken his foot on the fall and bruised his knee. The timetable for his return to the mound has not been given, but Sheets will be throwing off flat ground in a week or two.
"I'm fine. The foot may be broken, but I can still pitch through it. I don't feel the pain at all. If an old guy like Curt Schilling could pitch a postseason game with a bleeding ankle, I can definitely pitch an entire season with a broken foot," said Sheets as he grimaced in pain, but tried to cover it up with laughter.
Ben Sheets' injury could have a big impact on the A's pitching staff. The team had great expectations when they signed him, and they hope that he performs up to those expectations when he pitches...broken foot or no broken foot.
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