MILWAUKEE -- Last year at this time, the Brewers had a barrelful of questions about the middle and back end of their starting rotation. This year, the biggest question mark is up top. Right-hander Ben Sheets, severely limited in 2005 by an inner-ear condition and then a torn back muscle, will try to stay healthy enough in 2006 to headline a Brewers rotation featuring arguably more talent and certainly more experience than any in recent seasons. "We have a little more certainty, that's for sure," general manager Doug Melvin said. "Last year we had Sheets and [Doug] Davis, and then a lot of questions beyond that." Despite Sheets' injury woes and 81 games at hitter-friendly Miller Park, pitching coach Mike Maddux got the most out of Brewers starting pitchers in 2005. Starters went 58-57 and ranked second of 16 National League teams with 796 strikeouts, fourth with a .253 batting average against and sixth with a 4.02 ERA. Getting Sheets back for a full season would be a big boost. He underwent surgery after the season to repair a torn upper-back muscle suffered in an August start against Atlanta, but was given the go-ahead last month to begin a throwing program. Sheets will earn an $11 million salary this season, including a portion of the signing bonus featured in the four-year contract he inked last April. The team expects him to be ready for a fifth consecutive Opening Day start, and will be looking for a season like the one Sheets enjoyed in 2004, when he set a franchise record with 264 strikeouts and posted a 2.70 ERA. If Sheets suffers an unexpected setback, Opening Day honors could go to Davis, who has pitched 200 innings in each of his two seasons in Milwaukee, and last season ranked fifth in the Majors with 208 strikeouts. In the Nos. 3 and 4 spots are left-hander Chris Capuano, an 18-game winner last season, and right-hander Tomo Ohka. Frontrunners for the final spot include newly-acquired Dave Bush, veteran holdover Rick Helling and young left-hander Dana Eveland. "I think we have more certainty there, but you're always looking for more depth," Melvin said. "You're always two [injuries] away from having some problems. You always want more pitching and, just like other clubs, if there is another starter out there who could make us better, we would consider it." Capuano avoided his earlier injury problems and had a breakout 2005, becoming the Brewers' first 18-game winner in 18 years and setting career highs in ERA, starts, wins, innings and strikeouts. It was a dramatic coming-out for a player who missed starts due to three separate injuries in 2004. "He got the run support -- Doug Davis didn't," Melvin said. "And [Capuano] helps himself out by the way he can handle the bat and drop the bunt, he fields his position and he limits the running game." Ohka is eligible for salary arbitration (he is expected to earn about $4 million) after going 11-9 last season with a 4.04 ERA between Washington and Milwaukee. The Brewers acquired Ohka in June from the Nationals for Junior Spivey, a move that solidified the rotation and opened second base for prospect Rickie Weeks. Assuming those four pitchers are healthy, the No. 5 spot could come down to Bush, Helling or Eveland. The long shot may be Eveland, who is just 22 years old and pitched out of the Brewers' bullpen for part of last season. But if the team is unable to re-sign right-hander Dan Kolb, there may be even more impetus to bring back Eveland as a reliever, or the organization may decide to give him more seasoning in the Minor Leagues. "He has the flexibility to go a lot of different ways," Melvin said. The Brewers are high on the 26-year-old Bush, one of three players acquired from Toronto last month for first baseman Lyle Overbay. Bush made 24 starts for the Blue Jays in 2005, going 5-11 with a 4.49 ERA. Helling started last season at Triple-A Nashville but eventually earned a promotion to Milwaukee, making eight relief appearances before switching to the rotation in Sheets' stead, going 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in seven stellar starts, including a 1.69 ERA in six September outings. He re-signed with Milwaukee in November for $850,000 plus incentives. "I think they were happy with the way I pitched in the starting role last year, but I think I also showed I could pitch in relief," Helling said when he signed. "Maybe it will be a situation where I start the year in the rotation and then move to the bullpen. At this point you just don't know. "I felt some loyalty. [The Brewers] gave me a chance last year when they really didn't have to." Melvin and Co. will not limit their options to that group of six frontrunners. The team is hopeful that right-hander Ben Hendrickson can rebound from a poor 2005 and return to prospect status, and there has been some talk of looking at right-hander Dennis Sarfate, perhaps as a reliever to start the season. "You hope that someone could step up and be a sleeper," Melvin said.