Sports: Cubs’ DeRosa hospitalized, Fukudome brings batting order shuffle

Via the Associated Press:

Second baseman Mark DeRosa was taken out of the Chicago Cubs’ spring training complex on a stretcher and transported by ambulance to a hospital Saturday after experiencing an irregular heartbeat.

DeRosa was sitting up as he was wheeled out of the Fitch Park complex. Some of his teammates were still in the field winding up a day of workouts.

“Mark’s doing fine,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He came in with a rapid heartbeat from doing the things on the field and was having a little trouble breathing, so they called in the medical team.

“He’s completely stable, but better be safe than sorry. With the irregular heartbeat and so forth, they sent him to the hospital to test him and evaluate him. But he’s fine.”

And from Sports Illustrated:

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella plans to experiment with his batting order this spring to see where Kosuke Fukudome can best help the team. The Japanese star might hit third, a spot where he feels most comfortable.

That would mean a drop from third to fourth for former NL batting champion Derrek Lee and a switch from fourth to fifth for last year’s team RBI leader, Aramis Ramirez.

Yes, I know. Stars easily get their noses out of joint when you start messing with their place in the batting order. But Lee and Ramirez seem to have their heads on straight, and it’s good news for the Cubs that they are in the position of having to make room for a good hitter.

So this is a good sign.