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Gallardo back into rotation as Brewers host Diamondbacks

Jul 19, 2007 - 1:45 PM Arizona (50-46) at Milwaukee (53-41, 2:05 pm EDT

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers with be without ace Ben Sheets for at least a month. Into his spot steps the future.

Top prospect Yovani Gallardo will take Sheets' turn in the rotation when the Brewers host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a four-game series on Thursday.

Sheets tore the tissue surrounding the tendon in the middle finger of his pitching hand last Saturday on just his ninth pitch of the outing. The All-Star righthander was placed on the disabled list Monday and will be sidelined four to six weeks.

Gallardo (1-1, 2.83 ERA) took Sheets' place against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings, yielding one hit and striking out four.

The 21-year-old rookie righthander made three starts while Chris Capuano was hurt last month, going 1-0 while allowing six runs in 19 1/3 innings before moving to the bullpen.

Arizona will counter with veteran Livan Hernandez (5-5, 4.61). The Cuban righthander has not won since May 27, a span of eight starts. He is carrying a 6.19 ERA over that stretch, surrendering 68 hits in 48 innings.

Milwaukee had its four-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday in a 5-2 loss. Diamondbacks rookie Mark Reynolds belted a three-run homer in the eighth inning to snap a tie and lift Arizona to just its fourth win in its last 15 games.