According to JR Radcliffe at MLB.com, with Milwaukee Brewers ace right-hander Ben Sheets ready to return to the mound this week in Chicago, pitcher Dave Bush became the odd man out in the rotation, and the team optioned him to Triple-A Nashville. Had Sheets been unable to go again due to a tightnes in his right triceps, Bush would have gotten the call. Instead of putting Bush in the bullpen as a long reliever, the team decided it was better to send him down to the minors. Said manager Ned Yost of the decision, “It’s a hard decision to make, but as an organization, we would much rather have Dave Bush pitching [on a regular schedule]. Odds are, it’s going to be a very short stay down there, and we’d rather pitch him on his regular rotation than sit him and not pitch him in the long role.” The move was ultimately made to make room for oufielder Mike Cameron, who was suspended for the first 25 games of the season, and is due to rejoin the team in 2 days.

Dave Bush has not pitched in a minor league game since 2005, before the Brewers acquired him in a trade for Lyle Overbay with Toronto. Bush didn’t seem too pleased with the team’s decision to send him down, saying, “No one prefers going to the Minors instead of going to the bullpen.” Bush feels fleeced!

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