"When Ben Sheets got to Arizona earlier in the week, he made a wrong turn en route to the A's complex.

Understandable: For the past 10 years, his entire pro career, Sheets had reported to the Brewers' camp in Maryvale.

"It was kind of strange, I ain't going to lie, when I put the green on the first time," the A's top free-agent acquisition said. "Old habits die hard."

Sheets was among the pitchers and catchers to report to the A's minor-league facility for physicals Saturday, and he will be among those - roughly half the pitchers in camp - who will throw bullpen sessions this morning at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Justin Duchscherer, who will be No. 2 in Oakland's rotation behind Sheets, was scheduled to throw, but that's now unlikely. Duchscherer told The Chronicle he has an irritated SI joint (sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the hip bones), something that also bothered him last year while rehabbing from minor elbow surgery.

Duchscherer said he has had three cortisone shots for the SI joint this year, including one a week ago, but the irritation hasn't decreased. The right-hander emphasized, however, that it is a minor issue. He said there is a simple fix - involving burning the nerves (ablation) in the area - that would keep him off the field only a handful of days."