Cubs closer Kerry Wood placed on DL with blister

[July 25, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- The Cubs placed closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list Thursday for the 12th time in his 10-year career because of a blister on his pitching hand.

Wood, who has 24 saves in 29 chances and was selected to the NL All-Star team, has a blister on his right index finger that has kept him out since July 11. Chicago general manager Jim Hendry hopes Wood can return Tuesday at Milwaukee when he is eligible to be activated. He was put on the DL retroactive to July 14.

"He is making progress. He is getting better. But I think with the amount of time off he's going to need a little work, whether it's a couple of (bullpen sessions)," Hendry said. "I just talked to him. He's hopeful he will be ready by Tuesday with some work under his belt."

Wood is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA. He sat out the All-Star game last week at Yankee Stadium because of the blister.

"I think we all felt like we weren't worried about it at all before the break," Hendry said. "We thought the break would do him good, skipping New York would be great, and be ready to go in Houston. But obviously, he wasn't. But we all know the way Woody's been his whole life. If it gets to the point where he will just have to pitch through it with the discomfort, then I'm sure that's what he will do."

The Cubs, who opened a series against Florida on Thursday night, will make a corresponding move before Friday's game. Triple-A Iowa starter and former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija is among the candidates.

"It's a possibility. We will probably see how the game goes," Hendry said. "He will be considered."

Samardzija, who signed a $10 million, five-year contract with the Cubs in 2007 despite speculation that he could have been a first-round pick in the NFL draft, made his debut for Iowa on June 24.

Samardzija is 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA for Iowa in six starts. He has 40 strikeouts in 37 1-3 innings.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.