--LHP Scott Eyre will accompany the Cubs to Houston but he won't be activated off the disabled list right away. Eyre has been out since June 28 with a strained left groin and has been rehabbing in the minor leagues. The Cubs will watch him throw in Houston and determine whether he needs more rehab time in the minors. As of now, Neal Cotts and Sean Marshall are the left-handers in the 'pen.
--LF Alfonso Soriano will take batting practice with the Cubs in Houston beginning with Thursday's workout and into the weekend. The six-week timetable for Soriano's return from his broken left hand is holding true, despite earlier optimism that he could come back sooner. --SS Ryan Theriot brings a 10-game hitting streak into the resumption of play. Theriot is 18-for-45 (.400) during the streak. His .396 on-base percentage put him sixth in the NL entering Thursday.
--LHP Rich Hill, who is technically on the disabled list at Class AAA Iowa, was scheduled to make a rehab start for Class A Daytona on Thursday, but the game was rained out. Hill opened the season as the Cubs' No. 4 starter but was demoted to Iowa in early May after battling command problems. He has spent time recently at the Cubs' spring training complex in Arizona to work on his delivery. There is no timetable for bringing him back to the big club.
--RHP Rich Harden, who tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Giants last Saturday, will get extra rest. After LHP Ted Lilly pitches Friday's series opener at Houston, the Cubs will go with RHPs Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster. Harden likely will open the series at Arizona on Monday, as the Cubs take it easy on his right shoulder. A shoulder strain put Harden on Oakland's disabled list for a month earlier this year.
--RF Kosuke Fukudome enters the weekend series 7-for-42 (.167) this month. The All-Star's on-base percentage for July is only .222 after he set the pace for the Cubs in that department for much of the first three months.
BY THE NUMBERS: 57 -- The Cubs have reached 57 victories before the All-Star break for the first time since 1969, when they had 61. The Cubs are 57-38 at the break. Last year, they were 44-43.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've said it's like the British Open. I've said that a few times." -- Manager Lou Piniella, on the capricious nature of Wrigley Field, where the wind can change direction at any time and alter the course of play.
