Jim Edmonds now a Cub

After wrapping up their mid-week series on Thursday, three of four MDR teams will start inter-league play this weekend.

Only the Cubs will stay with a NL opponent, the Pirates. Sean Gallagher will start the series opener on Friday against the Bucs' Tom Gorzelanny.

Newly-acquired outfielder Jim Edmonds will be in uniform and is expected to see action over the weekend. Felix Pie was optioned to the minors to make room for Edmonds.

The Brewers travel to Boston to take on the Red Sox. Jeff Suppan will start the series opener Friday against the BoSox's Daisuke Matsuzaka.

In the AL, the Twins will send Nick Blackburn against the Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez in Colorado.

The White Sox travel to San Francisco. Gavin Floyd will take the mound against the Giants' Jonathan Sanchez.

You can read about all the weekend games by going to the team sites via MDR links. Come back here Sunday night to see the Weekend Wrap and Player of the Week.

Midweek Notebook

Eric Gagne

Brewers

** RHP Eric Gagne returned to the closer role Tuesday night and earned a save in the Brewers’ 5-3 win over the Dodgers.

One day after manager Ned Yost said he was removing Gagne from the closer's role for the time being, Gagne said Monday he was ready to start saving games for the Brewers again.

"I know I belong in the ninth inning," said Gagne, who prompted the move by Yost by saying his performance didn't warrant being the closer after allowing two ninth-inning runs Saturday that allowed St. Louis to take a 5-3 victory.

"I had my mental break (Sunday)," said Gagne. "I'm good to go now. I know I'm a great closer. I know I'm going to do all right. I've just got to work out of it. It's just a confidence thing. The only way you'll be all right is keep going out there in a closing situation."

** RHP Yovani Gallardo underwent successful knee surgery. He could be ready to pitch by September.

** Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron will receive an honorary law degree from Concordia University in Wisconsin. The former home-run king also will deliver the commencement speech on Saturday.

Cubs

** RHP Jon Lieber “is in the bullpen right now,” manager Lou Piniella said Monday. Lieber started and lasted only two innings last Wednesday at Cincinnati. But with RHP Sean Gallagher getting an emergency start Sunday against Arizona, the Cubs are left without a long man, so that duty falls to Lieber.

** RF Kosuke Fukudome has appeared in 37 of the Cubs’ 38 games this year. Piniella said he’ll eventually have to give Fukudome a break now and then. Piniella said 140-145 games would be “pretty nice” for Fukudome to play.

** 1B Derrek Lee had a home hitting streak of 11 games. Lee was batting .365 (31-for-85) with 17 RBIs at home compared with .271 (19-for-70) with 10 RBIs on the road.

** Cubs owner Sam Zell reportedly has rejected the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority offer to buy Wrigley Field and will sell the ballpark in a package with the Cubs.

Twins

** RHP Livan Hernandez improved to 6-1, marking the pitcher’s best start since he went 6-2 in his first nine starts of the 2005 season. Hernandez did not record his sixth win last season until July 24.

** DH Craig Monroe is batting .333 with two doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in his last nine games. He has two home runs and six RBIs in his last two games.

** 2B Brendan Harris returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore right hamstring. Harris suffered the injury early in Friday night’s game and was removed from the game in the sixth inning.

White Sox

** OF Jermaine Dye was back in the starting lineup Monday, one day after sitting to get a breather in Seattle. Nick Swisher had been moved over so that Brian Anderson could start in center field in Dye’s absence, but Anderson was back on the bench in the game against the Angels.

** DH Jim Thome is expected to get some work at first base during batting practice this week, but it could be very limited. With interleague play coming up in San Francisco this weekend, manager Ozzie Guillen wants Thome to play at least one game, but at the same time not put pressure on his chronic back problems in getting ready for that one game.

** INF/OF Alexei Ramirez should get enough at-bats to keep him fresh, manager Ozzie Guillen said, but with OF Brian Anderson emerging as a reliable reserve, it will get tougher and tougher to find chances for Ramirez.