Mark DeRosa Rubs Salt in Cubs' Wound

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

On the day Milton Bradley began serving a team-mandated, season-ending suspension, former Cubs fan favorite Mark DeRosa suited up for the Cubs rival. He's been doing so since coming over in a trade from Cleveland. This past offseason, the Cubs moved DeRosa to the Indians as part of a concerted effort to free up payroll. The target: Bradley.

Thus, it was only fitting the chain of decisions were further cemented as awful when DeRosa hit two home runs and drove in four runs Monday night.

At the time of the move, it could have been argued the Cubs were moving DeRosa after his career year. After all, he'd never hit more than 13 home runs in a season, and he knocked 21 out of the park in 2008. Being 33, it's not like he was just entering his prime.

Well, he entered Monday night with 21 bombs, meaning his first homer of the night marked his career high. At age 34. His rate stats are down, but with his positional versatility and power, you could do much worse than DeRosa in fantasy baseball or in real life.

Bradley, on the other hand ... I just don't have the energy anymore. What a waste. Of everything. I'm embarrassed that I even bothered to give him a chance. It won't be happening again.

Bits From the Box Scores
- Chase Headley is quietly putting together a nice extended stretch. He went 5-for-6 with 3 doubles and a home run last night, which is hardly quiet, but look at his numbers for the last few months. Since July 29, Headley is hitting .328 with a .406 on-base percentage and .884 OPS. He's only hit 3 home runs during that time, but you aren't going to get power in San Diego from anyone other than the huge power threats. Headley is definitely someone to keep an eye on for 2010.

- David Purcey has now strung together two good starts. He's thrown 13 1/3 innings and allowed just 3 earned runs in those outings. Still, the Jays look to have a crowded rotation for next season and he's walked 8 batters in those innings.

- Tim Wakefield is having a rough September. In two starts, he's lasted just 9 innings. Not only that, he's given up 11 hits, 10 walks and 8 earned runs in those outings (6.55 ERA and 2.33 WHIP). He's not worth running out there again this season.

- Josh Anderson stole his 22nd base of the season Monday night. He won't help anywhere else, but he's a good source of cheap speed in large AL-Only leagues.

- Nick Blackburn threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 6 and walking no one. He's a good spot-start down the stretch as the Twins look to take down Detroit.

- Kenshin Kawakami will be an interesting option next season. The Braves will likely trade him if they don't plan to have him in the rotation, which means he'll be a starting pitcher somewhere. He was dominant in 4 innings of relief work Monday night, and he had a 3.30 ERA in his last 10 starts.

- Julio Borbon has been pretty impressive in his time this year. Expect the Rangers to hand him the leadoff spot next year, which is a prime place to accrue runs. He's also stolen 16 bases and hit .321. The 4 homers aren't too shabby either. The 23-year-old prospect appears to be headed for stardom and he'll be a hot late-round commodity in fantasy leagues, too.

- Alex Rodriguez has had a down year in terms of batting average, but he's hitting .371 since September 2. In fact, his rate stats are looking like they'll be quite similar to those of Mark Teixeira before it's all said and done.

- Take note: Brian Fuentes did get the save Monday night -- against the Yankees. The Angels still obviously have some trust in him.

The Afflicted: Denard Span left Monday's game after getting beaned with an apparent head injury. The guess here is he'll be day-to-day.

Called Up: Tyler Colvin, a 24-year-old Cubs outfielding prospect, has gotten the call -- in a corresponding move with the suspension of Bradley. It didn't take long for him to make an impact, as he garnered his first major league hit and RBI Monday night. Looking at Colvin's minor league stats, he's not an entirely appealing fantasy prospect. Just a solid all-around player who hit .286 with 15 home runs, 60 RBI and 8 stolen bases in the minors this past season. He can play center, but he's more suited for the corners. It will be interesting to see if the Cubs can move Bradley in the offseason. If they can, Colvin has a real shot of playing for the 2010 Cubs.

Lineup Lock Time: 7:05 PM ET