FanHouse Mike Burns

Don't get nervous, Brewers fans, Ryan Braun isn't asking out of Milwaukee. Quite the opposite, actually. He's asking that general manager Doug Melvin try to pull off something like he did a year ago Tuesday when the Brewers landed CC Sabathia in a deal that helped propel them to the postseason for the first time since 1982.

The timing of Braun's request is understandable. The Brewers just dropped three of four games at Wrigley Field to the recently revived Cubs, and two of those games featured poor starts from Mike Burns and Seth McClung. Those aren't names you'll find starting games for too many playoff teams, something Braun would like the Brewers to be this season.

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

Adam LaRoche, he of the longest swing in the majors, is starting to heat up. In the last 9 games, he's hit .387 with 3 home runs, 5 RBI, 4 runs, 2 doubles, a .444 on-base percentage and 1.186 OPS. If his career history is any indicator, we can expect things to continue along this pace.

It's just that he's starting things up a bit early. In LaRoche's career, he's been two different players per season. Just look at his splits. He's a decent hitter with good power in through June. From July on, though, he's a good hitter with great power.

Ever since CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets left Milwaukee via free agency, questions about starting pitching have hounded the Brewers. Could they replace their two aces? Could they compete without them? Yovani Gallardo has been great at the top of the rotation this year, striking out nearly a batter an inning to go with his 3.00 ERA, but behind him the rotation is in shambles. Manny Parra was demoted to Triple-A last week and Tuesday, the Brewers learned they're going to have to put Dave Bush on the disabled list with a small tear in his triceps.

It might seem that this move, which leaves Braden Looper and Jeff Suppan as the best two starters behind Gallardo, would precede some kind of trade, but a major league source told FanHouse Tuesday night that the Brewers don't expect Bush to miss much time, and while he's on the DL, they'll try to get by with Mike Burns,who is taking Bush's rotation spot on Thursday.

Early this spring (actually, it was probably still winter), I took a look at the Brewers' offseason transactions and saw that they had acquired Jorge Julio. Everyone knew the Brewers needed pitching help, but I was certainly skeptical of Julio's ability to provide that help. After two disastrous months in 2009, it's clear that he can't, and Tuesday the Brewers announced his release, recalling Mike Burns in his place.

This move was almost inevitable after Monday night's debacle, in which Julio entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Brewers ahead 4-2, then left the game with the Brewers trailing the Marlins 5-4, the bases loaded, and nobody out. In the end, Julio was charged with six runs and the loss. His ERA has ballooned to 7.79, his WHIP is 1.71 and he's walked 15 hitters and struck out just 13 in 17 1/3 innings.