MESA, Ariz. -- Derrek Lee was receiving treatment for a back injury incurred in a freak accident in the clubhouse before Wednesday's game against Texas in Surprise.

"He was eating before the game and the chair just collapsed on him," manager Lou Piniella said. "That's why we got him out of there after three innings."

Piniella said Lee was fine and would be back in the starting lineup Friday. Piniella's back is also ailing, and he decided to skip the two-hour trip to Tucson for the Cubs' game at Arizona. Alan Trammell will manage the team instead.

In other news, Aramis Ramirez was playing catch Thursday morning at HoHoKam Park and is tentatively scheduled to play at third base Friday. Piniella said his shoulder was better and "he feels confident that he can play."

Piniella also was pleased that Xavier Nady played the outfield Wednesday in a minor league game.

"I played five innings, and there might've been one fly ball the whole game," Nady said. "At least i got some exercise- hit, outfield, hit, outfield, hit... I think it's more getting a couple reads. It was fun just to be out there. Just keep plugging away at that.:

"He didn't get any balls hit his way, but just the preparation, getting set and running out, it's good for him," Piniella said. "It's part of the regimen of being an outfielder."

Nady got hit in the right wrist and had it X-rayed. He said it hurt for a while, but he was OK to hit again Thursday.

Piniella said he needs to play the outfield in a Cactus League game soon.

"We're not going to be using the DH much more," he said. "We've allowed the teams to use DHs when they wanted to, but from now on, we want our pitchers to hit and we want our pitchers to bunt. He's going to have to play the outfield, or go down to the minor league to get at-bats."

Nady didn't know when he'd be ina Cactus League game.

Piniella said he liked what he saw from reliever Jeff Gray, who pitched one scoreless inning in his debut Wednesday, after sitting the last five weeks with a groin injury. He still is unlikely to make the team.

"He's got a nice arm," Piniella said. "But if you're rushing to get him ready, you're looking at something (bad) that could really happen. But we'll see. We're going to sit down with (trainer Mark O'Neal) and Larry (Rothschild) and see. But I like what I see. But if you get him on a fast track, then you've got a little problem."

Piniella said they will get down to either 12 or 13 pitchers Friday, and 16 or 17 position players. He liked what he saw with Chad Tracy on Wednesday.

"I said I wanted to see him smack it, and he hit a couple balls well, in the right-center field gap and the left-center field gap," he said. "That last spot, it's not an easy decision. We've got a lot of things to consider. We're not set one way or another. Things will go on for a little bit. And (Micah) Hoffpauir is swinging the bat a little better here at the end of camp."

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Kinda like kicking a fan, or falling while trying to jump over the dugout railing.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

I appreciate D Lee but he is becoming old & soft. This fucking lingering neck & back issue is pissing me off. Chair break & no chair break.

He is in the last year of his contract and if I am GM I say thank you & good luck at the end of this contract.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Ya think Ricketts can spring for some new chairs? Was Mercker the pitcher that got his hand caught in one of those things...or maybe it was that Remlinger guy.

Cubbie occurrence.

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Second City Saint

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You know me like that.

You've gotten your best years out of this guy. He's ready to be traded to a deadline contender for some youngsters. I am not interested in paying him more next year than he is earning this year. Let some other sucker team pay him for his past stats in 2011.
Who's going to come up here and be the everyday first basema if Lee (when Lee) is gone next year?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

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Nady seems like a likely choice. Millar, if he makes the team, is another option. I'm not sure if both of them are around, that Hoffpauir will be a part of this team.

This whole thing was frustrating though. I went chalk on the "Which Cub hurts his back by breaking his chair while eating" pool. and I took carlos Silva. This was a bigger upset than Cornell pulled off against Wisconsin

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Go Cubs!!!!

END THE WAIT IN 2008!


Nice edit wonderboy.

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From the Yahoo story

To blatantly steal a joke from Lookout Landing, you're a loser if you had former Mariner Carlos Silva(notes) in your Cubs chair breaking pool.




Way to be original

Never heard or saw it. But since I came up with the same thought, I have to give credit to the writer for similar brilliance.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I'm sorry but especially since he won't miss any regular season time this made me laugh. It is so the Chicago Cubs.


This is the team that wonders where it is going and why is it in a handbasket.

When reached for comment, Derrek Lee blamed his broken chair on fan negativity.

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