The Cubs will open the second half Friday at Houston, and they'll still be short-handed, at least for about another week.
Left fielder Alfonso Soriano remains on the disabled list as he recovers from the broken left hand he suffered June 11. Soriano will take batting practice with the Cubs this weekend before heading out on a minor league rehab assignment. He'll likely rejoin the Cubs and be activated June 24. In the meantime, the Cubs will go with a revolving door of Mark DeRosa and Reed Johnson in left until Soriano gets back.
Once Soriano comes off the DL, the Cubs will be able to move Johnson back and forth from left field to center, giving Soriano and Jim Edmonds a break now and then.
DeRosa, mainly a second baseman, then will be able to move to right field on occasion to spell Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs also take a 13-man pitching staff into the second half, but that number likely will go down to 12 when Soriano gets activated. Manager Lou Piniella has voiced misgivings about having to use pitchers as pinch hitters.
