The Cubs are banged up badly, and their depth is being tested. Aramis Ramirez is day to day with a left-calf strain, and Derrek Lee went out of Sunday's game with neck spasms. Add to that the right-groin strain that has hobbled RF Milton Bradley for two weeks and the left-knee sprain that fell RHP Carlos Marmol last week, and the Cubs have been piecing it together. The team is carrying 12 pitchers, so manager Lou Piniella could get stuck if a game goes into extra innings.
PLAYER NEWS: --RHP Carlos Marmol threw a bullpen session Monday, and the Cubs said he'll be ready to pitch Tuesday. Marmol twisted his left knee Friday in St. Louis. He came out of that game and missed the next two, plus the series opener against the Diamondbacks. Marmol is the glue that holds the Cubs' bullpen together, and the sooner he gets back, the sooner the other pitchers can stay in their normal roles.
--1B Micah Hoffpauir started in place of ailing Derrek Lee and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Hoffpauir came into Sunday's game to replace Lee, who had to leave because of neck spasms. Hoffpauir homered Sunday; it was the Cubs' first homer since last Tuesday, when Hoffpauir went deep.
--LF Alfonso Soriano led off the game with his sixth homer of the year. It was Soriano's 52nd lifetime leadoff homer, putting him one behind Craig Biggio for second on the all-time list but still well in back of Rickey Henderson (81).
--SS Ryan Theriot has cooled after a good start. Theriot was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, and he is 3-for-18 on the trip. Manager Lou Piniella talked of wanting Theriot to drive the ball more, but that style might not suit Theriot, who likes to punch the ball to right field, his opposite field.
MEDICAL WATCH:
1B Derrek Lee (neck spasms) left the April 26 game and did not play April 27. He hopes to be available for pinch-hitting duty on April 28.
3B Aramis Ramirez (left calf soreness) left the April 24 game, and he didn't play April 25-27. He is day-to-day.
RHP Carlos Marmol (strained left leg muscle) left the April 24 game, and he didn't pitch April 25-27. He is day-to-day.
RF Milton Bradley (right groin strain) left the April 12 game and didn't start April 13-27, though he appeared several times as a pinch hitter. He hoped to be back in the lineup April 28.
ROTATION:
RHP Carlos Zambrano
RHP Ryan Dempster
LHP Ted Lilly
RHP Rich Harden
LHP Sean Marshall
BULLPEN:
RHP Kevin Gregg (closer)
RHP Carlos Marmol
RHP Aaron Heilman
LHP Neal Cotts
RHP Jeff Samardzija
RHP Angel Guzman
RHP David Patton
CATCHERS:
Geovany Soto
Koyie Hill
INFIELDERS:
1B Derrek Lee
2B Mike Fontenot
SS Ryan Theriot
3B Aramis Ramirez
INF Aaron Miles
1B/OF Micah Hoffpauir
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Alfonso Soriano
CF Kosuke Fukudome
RF Milton Bradley
OF Reed Johnson
OF Joey Gathright
