(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange) The Cubs have gone 5-6 and the offense has hit .214 since first baseman Derrek Lee went on the disabled list with a fractured right wrist on April 21.

Lee was expected to be out six to eight weeks, and it appears that the Cubs are not going to be able to swing a trade for a right-handed hitter.

"That's a big dude out there -- that's a lot of offense," manager Dusty Baker said. "That's like the Cardinals losing Albert Pujols. You always need more offense. But you have to do what you can defensively and pitching-wise.

"(General manager) Jim (Hendry) is working on trying to get more offense, but you have somebody to trade with. It's so early and people don't generally trade this early."

The Cubs also don't have a slugger in their farm system ready to step up.

REPLAY: The Cubs finished their eight-game homestand with a respectable 4-4 mark. But they lost three of the final four games at Wrigley Field by a combined score of 33-2 after dropping an 8-0 decision to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Cubs mustered just five hits off left-hander Zach Duke, including two in the ninth inning. Duke is 4-0 with a 0.56 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs. The Cubs are 3-7 against left-handed starters this year.

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NOTES

 --1B Derrek Lee is two weeks into his wrist injury, which was supposed to keep him out six to eight weeks. While manager Dusty Baker is holding out hope the star slugger will be back in four weeks, teammate Juan Pierre said on Tuesday: "He's out until after the All-Star break, so no matter what you do, you have to get it done as if he was in the lineup."

--RHP Kerry Wood gave up no runs on one hit with no walks and eight strikeouts in five innings Tuesday against a Rookie League team during extended spring training in Arizona. Wood was throwing in the mid-90 mph range, and his next appearance could be Sunday in a minor league rehab game.

--RHP Angel Guzman got into trouble right away on Tuesday when he hit a batter and walked two others in the first inning. The rookie gave up two runs in that 36-pitch inning. He lasted just 5 2/3 innings and gave up six runs in the Cubs' loss to Pittsburgh. It was just Guzman's second major league appearance.

--1B Todd Walker continued his torrid hitting even though the team is averaging just one run a game the past four games. Walker had two of the Cubs' five hits in Tuesday's 8-0 loss to Pittsburgh to raise his average to .365.

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