Wood likely to be activated for today's game

Kerry Wood said he lobbied manager Lou Piniella to come off the disabled list Monday, but to no avail.

But Wood settled for the next-best thing. Barring any further problems, the Cubs' closer probably will come off the disabled list in time for this afternoon's game against the Houston Astros.

Wood hasn't pitched since July 11 because of a blister on his right index finger. That blister appears healed, perhaps thanks to a mystery remedy.

"I tried just about everything," he said. "The last thing we tried to seemed to work and work well. It turned around in about 3-4 days."

On Sunday, Wood threw a simulated game after having the blister covered with a pad coated with a sterile tissue adhesive called histoacryl. Wood threw without the padding Sunday, but when asked what the final treatment was, he played coy.

"I can't tell you," he said. "I guess I could, but I'm not going to."

Cubs people said Monday they believe the best healing agent was time.

When Wood comes back, it'll be in a middle-relief role at first and not in his accustomed role as closer.

That's to "make sure he's OK," according to Piniella.

The Cubs will have an interesting decision to make when Wood returns. They have three lefties in the pen: Neal Cotts, Scott Eyre and Sean Marshall. Piniella has never warmed to Eyre, and it's likely general manager Jim Hendry has talked trade. If the Cubs don't trade Eyre or designate him for assignment, they could send one of the other lefties to the minor leagues.

Regulars rest: First baseman Derrek Lee, shortstop Ryan Theriot and infielder-outfielder Mark DeRosa all found themselves out of the starting lineup as Lou Piniella continued to give his regulars a breather.

Lee entered the game 1-for-7 on the homestand after going 4-for-20 in Milwaukee, including a pair of 0-for-5's to end the series.

"He's played more than anybody," Piniella said, noting that Lee had played in 111 of the Cubs' first 112 games.

Piniella wouldn't say if he thought Lee has been swinging a tired bat.

Henry Blanco may start at catcher today in place of Geovany Soto.

Hill set back again: Any chance lefty Rich Hill may have had for coming back up with the Cubs probably is gone for 2008.

The organization probably will put Hill on Class A Daytona's DL and send him to their Arizona facility to recover from a back ailment that apparently has flared up again.

The Cubs sent Hill to the minor leagues in early May after he suffered from command problems.

Rotation plans: The Cubs will finish a stretch of 20 games in 20 days Thursday. Rich Harden and Jason Marquis will finish the series against the Astros. The Cubs will have off-days before and after this weekend's series against St. Louis at Wrigley Field.

After that, it's off to Atlanta and Florida. Lou Piniella said the only certainty next week is that Harden will open the series Tuesday in Atlanta.