Roto Rush: Troy Tulowitzki Torching Opposition as Rockies Streak

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Troy Tulowitzki was the runner-up for the 2007 Rookie of the Year, but he followed it up with a rough 2008. And a rough beginning to 2009. All of a sudden, though, the kid has caught fire. Not coincidentally, the Rockies have as well.

After trouncing the Angels Monday night, the Rockies have now won 15 of their last 16 games. After going 0-2 in the first game of the streak, Tulowitzki has gone 20-for-48 (.417) with 5 home runs, 11 RBI, 15 runs, 4 doubles and 5 stolen bases. Again, that's in 15 games.

Tulowitzki has actually been hitting well for quite a while. He got off to a dreadful start, but has gradually been heating up as the season progressed. He's hitting .292 with a .873 OPS since April 28, and sports .302 and .919 in those categories since May 8.

On the season, his standard five fantasy categories currently stand at .260, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 36 runs and 9 steals. Things will continue to look up for the 24-year-old shortstop. Last season was marred by injury, but he also got really hot after a slow start. In fact, he hit 22 of his 24 home runs from June to the end of the season.

Bits From the Box Scores
- Welcome back to Earth, Matt Palmer. The Angels' 30-year-old right-hander started the season 6-0. His history and peripherals (a quite fortunate BABIP for one) means we knew he was going to get knocked around the park occasionally (he already had a few times) and start losing games. Monday was the beginning, as the Rockies tagged him for 7 hits and 6 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He also walked 5. Own him at your own peril.

- Tim Redding is doing enough to earn the Mets' fifth rotation spot for the foreseeable future. In his last four starts, he's gone 2-2 with a 4.26 ERA. That's not good, but it's good enough to hold the spot down. He's worth a look in the deepest of NL-Only leagues -- especially when the Mets get Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran back and can provide some run support.

- Ryan Ludwick hit his 11th home run Monday night. His average is a paltry .240, but the power numbers are there and he's hitting only .241 on balls in play (after a .342 mark last season). Look for him to climb into the .275 average range with close to 30 bombs this year. He could still probably be purchased on the cheap.

- Javier Vazquez might still be flying under the radar due to his unlucky 5-6 record. There aren't many guys better in the other three categories, though. He's currently sporting a 3.18 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 99 innings. That's an NL-leading 10.6 K/9. The run support has to come, and he's enjoying his return to the Senior Circuit. He's another possible buy low.

- Milton Bradley had a 10-game hitting streak snapped when he struck out in a pinch hit appearance Monday night. Still, he hit .389 with a .950 OPS during the stretch. We know the track record, which tells us he'll continue to hit at a high rate and the power will begin to show up as well. He just has to stay healthy (yes, we know that's always been a problem).

- Brad Ziegler is a pretty good option as a middle reliever who can vulture saves. After accruing another one Monday night, he has 6 on the season. He's also throwing much better, with a 2.08 ERA in his last 7 outings.

The Afflicted: Ervin Santana is back to the disabled list. We had to have suspected he wasn't totally healthy, given that he hasn't been himself since returning. The move is retroactive to the 12th, however, so he'll be coming back Friday on a bit extra rest. Hopefully this is all he needs. As reported on FanHouse, Carlos Beltran is on the DL.

Comebacks: Grady Sizemore should be back Tuesday night, so get him active in all formats. He's too talented to bench when he's active. Joey Votto will also be back Tuesday night, so he should be active as well. Scott Kazmir has not been right this season, but maybe he just needed to heal up. He had a solid rehab outing Monday night and will either return this weekend or sometime next week. If he's available on the waiver wire, he's definitely worth an immediate add -- with the potential for big-time strikeouts and the wins the Rays will provide him.

Down on the Farm: Buster Posey, uber-catching prospect from the Giants system, may be promoted all the way up to Triple-A from Class-A. Though the kid is on fire in the minors -- .328 with 11 homers and 48 RBI in only 66 games -- don't expect him anytime in 2009. Instead, pay attention to him in deep keeper leagues. This kind of offense isn't exactly prevalent for catchers. Plus, Bengie Molina's contract expires at the end of this season. Don't expect the Giants to re-up. Posey is fast-tracked.

Lineup Lock Time: 7:05 PM ET