Andre Dawson, 56, recently enshrined into baseball's Hall of Fame, will be celebrated prior to the Cubs' game Monday night against the Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Xavier Nady hit a solo homer and Kosuke Fukudome belted a two-run shot Saturday to lift the Cubs and birthday-boy Randy Wells to a 3-2 victory over Bronson Arroyo and the first-place Reds.

Carlos Zambrano rejoined the Cubs on Saturday, did his normal side session and is on schedule to start Monday, opening a three-game series against the Pirates.

Alfonso Soriano was not in the Cubs' starting lineup Saturday against the Reds, giving him a chance to freshen up. He's batting .259 this season, brought down by a .235 August.

Starlin Castro remembers the last time he was in Cincinnati. It was May 7, when the Cubs' rookie shortstop made his Major League debut and hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat. He finished that game with a rookie-record six RBIs.

Jay Bruce belted three homers for the first time in his career to power the Reds to a 7-1 victory over the Cubs on Friday and hand manager Mike Quade his first loss in four games at the helm.

Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2003 and said he feels better than before he had the procedure done. Hopefully, the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg will bounce back [from his impending surgery] as well.

Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was expected to rejoin the team Saturday in Cincinnati, in plenty of time for his next start Monday against the Pirates.

Mike Quade has heard that Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is interviewing other candidates for the managerial job and just shrugs.

Manager Joe Girardi fulfilled his promise on Friday to briefly discuss the rumors linking his name to the Chicago Cubs' managerial opening for 2011.

The Cubs' managerial search has brought them to Eric Wedge, according to a report, which reported on Thursday that general manager Jim Hendry had a face-to-face interview with the former Indians skipper as he begins the formal process of selecting Chicago's next field general.

Will Ryne Sandberg be the next manager? How about Greg Maddux as a pitching coach? Cubs beat reporter Carrie Muskat answers those questions and more in her latest Inbox.

Starlin Castro's eighth-inning RBI double broke open a brilliant pitchers' duel, helping Ryan Dempster win his fourth consecutive decision and giving the Cubs a 4-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.

Ask Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano how good it feels to hit a home run in D.C. against the Washington Nationals and he'll smile.

Right-hander Carlos Silva will make a Minor League rehabilitation start for Class A Peoria on Friday and is expected to pitch three of four innings or 45 pitches. Barring any problems in that outing, Silva will rejoin the Cubs soon after.

Right-hander Carlos Zambrano, who left the Cubs after winning Tuesday's start against the Nationals to visit his critically ill nephew in Venezuela, is expected to return to the team Saturday in Cincinnati and take his next scheduled turn on the mound Monday at home against Pittsburgh.

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro committed his team-high 20th error Tuesday night, when he sailed a throw to second base into right field in the first inning of the Cubs' 5-4 win over the Nationals.

Marlon Byrd turned some heads with his hustling play during the All-Star Game, but Cubs fans have grown accustomed to the veteran's max-effort approach.

Even though Carlos Zambrano certainly liked his effort and how it helped the Cubs to a 5-4 victory over Washington before 18,250 at Nationals Park, the big right-hander had other things on his mind much more important than fastballs and home runs.

The Cubs selected the contract of left-hander Scott Maine from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, and optioned pitcher Justin Berg back down.