Veteran Sheets to get Sunday start for Braves

The Atlanta Braves plan to start veteran right-hander Ben Sheets in Sunday's series finale against the New York Mets.

It will be the first big-league start for Sheets since July 19, 2010.

Sheets, 33, has undergone two elbow surgeries and last pitched in 2010 with the Oakland Athletics. He had his best years with the Milwaukee Brewers where he was a four-time All-Star. He has a 90-92 record with a 3.79 earned run average.

"You look at him being a guy who, if the progression goes as we hope, that he could join our rotation in the next few weeks," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Sunday. "No definitive time, just the next few weeks. What we just saw in the bullpen was very impressive."

Sheets signed a minor-league deal with the Braves on July 1 and appeared in a rehab start Monday with Class AA Mississippi, allowing two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

The Braves are in need of pitching help after losing Brandon Beachy to elbow surgery while starters Randall Delgado and Mike Minor have struggled. Beachy led the NL in ERA before his season ended.