HOUSTON -- The injuries are starting to pile up for the Brewers, though shortstop J.J. Hardy billed the team's latest setback as nothing major.

Hardy finally was forced out of a game Wednesday with irritation in his surgically repaired left shoulder, a condition for which he has received treatment all season. He passed a series of strength tests but will be on the bench when the Brewers and Astros play the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday afternoon.

"I don't know what it is," Hardy said. "I'm passing the strength tests, which is good. But it felt pretty irritated. The bat felt like it was 1,000 pounds."

Hardy tweaked the shoulder lunging for a cutoff throw that sailed over second baseman Craig Counsell early in Wednesday's 10-6 win over the Astros. He was replaced by pinch-hitter Bill Hall in the top of the sixth inning.

The injury is to Hardy's non-throwing shoulder. He tore the labrum there 26 games into his 2004 season at Triple-A and underwent season-ending surgery. Then he struggled to trust the joint during the first half of the following season as the Brewers' starting shortstop.

It had not been a problem since, Hardy said, until a Cactus League game earlier this spring, when he felt something on a home run swing against the Mariners' Felix Hernandez.

"That might have been the one swing that did it," Hardy said. "I've been battling through it. Some days are better than others. It actually felt pretty good until this one little thing [Wednesday] went wrong."

Dr. William Raasch is expected to be at Miller Park on Friday for an examination of injured reliever David Riske. Hardy probably will join his patient list.

"It's been bothering him for a while, and he tweaks it on certain balls," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "We've got a day game [Thursday], so the odds are I wouldn't play him anyway. I've been trying to give him some rest.

"It's not like it's a new problem. It's something that's been there for a little while, but it's completely playable."

Pitching matchup
MIL: RHP Ben Sheets (6-1, 2.62 ERA)
Sheets finally conquered Coors Field in his last outing, limiting the Rockies to a run in six innings of a no-decision on Friday. He should greatly benefit from the move back to sea level after abandoning his signature curveball in the thin Denver air. Sheets took a no-decision in a start at Minute Maid Park on May 5, when he surrendered four runs in 6 1/3 innings and was in line for the win before an Eric Gagne blown save.

HOU: RHP Brian Moehler (3-2, 3.76 ERA)
Moehler is coming of his best outing of the season, allowing two hits in seven shutout innings against the Cardinals on Friday. The Astros have won four of his six starts. The right-hander lost to the Brewers on May 31 at Miller Park after allowing four runs over five innings, including a two-run homer to Prince Fielder.

Tidbits
Outfielder Lorenzo Cain's stay at Triple-A Nashville will be a short one, according to assistant Brewers general manager Gord Ash. Cain, rated Milwaukee's ninth-best prospect entering the season, was promoted from Class A Brevard County to Nashville this week when Mel Stocker left the team for the birth of a child. Stocker was given four days off, and when he returns, Cain will be sent back down. ... The Brewers hit their fifth set of back-to-back home runs on Wednesday, when Russell Branyan and Mike Cameron hit solo shots against Astros pitcher Brandon Backe. ... Jason Kendall's two-run homer was his first since Aug. 15 of last season against the Reds' Victor Santos.

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Up next
• Friday: Brewers (Dave Bush, 2-6, 5.85) vs. Twins (Kevin Slowey, 2-6, 5.15), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Brewers (Jeff Suppan, 4-4, 3.78) vs. Twins (Glen Perkins, 2-2, 4.58), 6:05 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Brewers (Seth McClung, 3-3, 4.07) vs. Twins (Scott Baker, 2-1, 3.60), 1:05 p.m. CT