(Courtesy of The Sports Xchange) Michael Barrett may finally get some closure on his 10-game suspension for punching White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzyski.

There are rumors that Major League Baseball officials will be in Chicago on Friday to hear Barrett's appeal. Barrett is hoping to get a few games shaved off of the sentence.

"I don't know for a fact when it is," Barrett said on Tuesday. "Friday has been thrown out there. But it's certainly not set in stone."

If the hearing is held Friday, it will be interesting to see when a final decision is made. If MLB officials wait until Monday and Barrett receives the entire 10 games, he would not miss the second showdown with the White Sox at Wrigley Field from June 30-July 2.

"It's been a weird year," Barrett said. "It's been hanging over my head. I just want to get this over with and move on. I don't know what's going to happen."

REPLAY: Sean Marshall, who allowed one run on four hits in seven innings against Houston last Wednesday at Minute Maid Park, couldn't repeat that type of dominance Tuesday. The Cubs had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 9-2 loss to the Astros at Wrigley Field.

Marshall gave up five runs in four-plus innings. Phil Nevin hit his second home run in as many games and the third since the Cubs traded for him on May 31. It was the fourth time Marshall (3-5) failed to go at least five innings.

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NOTES

 --1B Derrek Lee (fractured right wrist) did not start taking dry swings as he had hoped to do Tuesday. He was re-examined by Cubs doctors but results were not available. The Cubs say they had planned on having him take this exam Tuesday ever since his cast came off on May 31 to see how much progress he has made.

--3B Aramis Ramirez (bruised elbow) returned to the lineup against Houston on Tuesday after missing Sunday's action because he couldn't throw. He was hurt Saturday when he was hit by a pitch.

--LHP Glendon Rusch will have his turn in the rotation skipped in order to allow RHPs Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano to pitch with their regular four days of rest. Rusch, who is 2-6 with a 7.29 ERA, may be used in the bullpen for a few days. He could start again Sunday against Detroit if rehabbing RHP Mark Prior is not ready.

--RHP Mark Prior (strained right shoulder) struck out the first four New Orleans hitters he faced in Tuesday's rehab appearance for Triple-A Iowa. He allowed one unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings, throwing 90 pitches. The Cubs will decide in the next few days if he needs another rehab start on Sunday or if he will be able to start against Detroit in his major league season debut.

--RHP Wade Miller (shoulder surgery) will throw a bullpen session at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, and he plans on a simulated game a few days after that. Miller has been at extended spring training all season.

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