Well, DUH!
Like I haven't been saying this since the middle of last winter?
Suddenly, with the bullpen in shambles, Dusty Baker finally has the light go on over his head and figure out that Dempster ought to be tried at closer?
This is confirmed here, here, and here.
Yesterday, I wrote that the rotation for the Milwaukee series would be Carlos Zambrano on Tuesday, Greg Maddux on Wednesday and Dempster on Thursday. Now, it appears that with the off day, Glendon Rusch, who threw two innings yesterday, will make the Thursday start, and that would allow Mark Prior to start on normal rest Friday at home against the Phillies.
This still doesn't quite address who'll start the rest of the weekend series -- because if the Cubs are really going to skip at least one of Kerry Wood's starts, and let him rest for "ten days, two weeks", as Jim Hendry says in the above-linked article, and go with a four-man rotation, someone else will have to step in until the next off day on May 12.
I do think Dempster has both the stuff and the right mindset to be a closer, but note this cautionary quote from Dempster himself:
So if they're going to do this, give him the job and let him keep it.
That's why they pay Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker the big bux, right?
Enjoy this off day. If you can.