DeRosa not concerned about heartbeat

Feb 25, 2008 - 10:32 PM MESA, Arizona (Ticker) -- Chicago Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa, who was first diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat when he was 16 years old, is not overly concerned with his condition.

On Monday, DeRosa returned to Chicago, where he will be examined by cardiologists and the Cubs' medical staff on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the Cubs' second baseman was fielding grounders during infield practice when he began to have trouble breathing. He left the field on a stretcher and was taken to Banner Desert Medical Center, where he was kept overnight for observation.

DeRosa said he experiences an irregular heartbeat once or twice a month but would still like to find a solution.

"Some will last 10 seconds, some will last five minutes," he told the Cubs' web site. "This one happened to last a lot longer than that. It was one of those things where you start to get uncomfortable. At no time did I think I was going to lose consciousness."

The Cubs do not expect DeRosa to be sidelined for an extended period of time, but they will not allow him to return to the field until a course of action is determined.

DeRosa has controlled the irregular heartbeat in the past with breathing exercises.

"I went through a gamut of tests when I was in high school to make sure it was nothing serious," he said. "It's never been a problem. I've been able to have certain techniques over the years that have got me out of the situation. It's never been an issue."

According to the Cubs' web site, DeRosa could be put on medication - something he would like to avoid.

"I'm 32 years old," he said. "I don't want to be on medication the rest of my life. We'll discuss all those options. It's something I've been able to control without any help."

DeRosa was the Cubs' most versatile player last season, batting .293 with 10 homers and 72 RBI in his first year with the team. He is expected to be Chicago's everyday second baseman this season.

DeRosa has a career batting average of .278 with 48 home runs and 265 RBI for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers and Cubs.