The former all-star and ace Ben Sheets has done it again: suffered a season ending injury. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sheets would need second flexor tendon surgery and need to miss the rest of the season.

This is just another notch of Sheets injury belt. Ear infections (yeah, that’s right) sidelined him during the 2005 season frequently. He missed most of the first half of the 2006 season due to shoulder tendinitis. A strained hamstring in July 2007 had Sheets out for a month and a half.

2008 was a high note for our fragile friend. He played through the whole season and paired with C.C. Sabathia, won 13 games and the Brewers made the playoff for the first time in over 25 years. But, when it counted, Sheets got hurt again. Because of a tear in his elbow, he couldn’t pitch in the playoffs. The Brew Crew lost in the NLDS and Sheets never took the mound.

The next year, Sheets didn’t pitch because he was rehabbing after the surgery on his elbow. He filed for free agency and, somehow, got $10 million from Oakland to pitch in the 2010 season.

We all know what happens next.

It’s getting to the point where every team (including the A’s) is going to have to cut the umbilical cord with Sheets. The pitcher has never won more than 13 games in a season and has a career ERA of 3.79. Not that age is much of a factor, Jamie Moyer has still got it, but Sheets is 32 and doesn’t have much to show for it. If it weren’t for the massive contract, I’d recommend cutting Sheets now.

I know, I know, it’s cold. But it’s business. When healthy, Sheets is a great second or third pitcher. The problem is, he’s never healthy. He wasn’t wowing any fan in Oakland, either. His record was a paltry 4-9 and his ERA was 4.53, the highest it has been since his first season in the big leagues.

If Oakland plans on making late run at the division (a tall order) it’s going to need another pitcher to step up. Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez can’t win them all.