(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange)   The Cubs hope Derrek Lee can start hitting drills next week.

Lee has been out since fracturing his wrist on April 19 and had a cast removed last Wednesday.

Trainer Mark O'Neal hopes Lee can start swinging a bat when the Cubs return home next week.

"It's getting there," O'Neal said. "It's just that when he took the cast off he thought he was going to be ready to go. But there is a lot more to it than that. If you push him a little bit, the next day he is going to be a little sore. You have to take baby steps because you don't want to push him too hard and then have to rest him a couple of days."

Lee hit .318 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 14 games before he was injured colliding with Dodgers baserunner Rafael Furcal. His offense has been missed, as the Cubs have won just 14 of 42 games since he has been out.

REPLAY: Carlos Zambrano just about did it all on Monday night.

The 25-year-old threw eight innings of one-hit ball, homered and drove in four runs to help the Cubs whip Houston 8-0. Zambrano took a no-hitter into the eighth, but Preston Wilson singled to right with one out to break it up.

Jacque Jones and Michael Barrett also homered for the Cubs.

The Cubs improved to 23-33 and have won five of their last seven games. All seven games were against National League Central opponents that were ahead of them in the standings.

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NOTES

 --RHP Kerry Wood played catch in the outfield on Monday and told manager Dusty Baker he was ready to pitch Tuesday against Houston. Wood, who is coming off Aug. 31 shoulder surgery, has been experiencing stiffness and soreness since his return in May. He will have seven days in between starts.

--RF Jacque Jones took over the team lead in homers with 11 when he cracked a solo shot in the third inning against Houston on Monday. He has hit eight homers since April 28.

--SS Ronny Cedeno's fourth-inning triple against Houston on Monday extended his career-high hitting streak to 10 games.

--LF Matt Murton was given a start off Monday night after going 2-for-13 in the first three games of the road trip against St. Louis. Cubs manager Dusty Baker said he is more concerned with Murton's defense than his offense. Murton had a few bad jumps on extra-base hits by Cardinals hitters.

--OF Freddie Bynum picked up a rare start in left field on Monday because manager Dusty Baker wanted a different look in the lineup. Bynum legged out an infield hit and stole second in a four-run second inning against Houston.

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