CUBS IN BRIEF: Ohman likely to get promotion

The Cubs might add a half-dozen or more players during the first week of September, with at least a couple of pitchers joining the roster when it expands Saturday. One of the pitchers likely to return is left-hander Will Ohman.

Ohman, who balked at a demotion this month by revealing he had been pitching with a ''barking'' shoulder, has pitched well enough at Class AAA Iowa to suggest he can help reinforce the bullpen, and he likely will join catcher Geovany Soto and right-hander Sean Gallagher among the roster additions.

Also in the mix to be recalled are infielders Ronny Cedeno and Eric Patterson, left-hander Carmen Pignatiello and right-hander Rocky Cherry. All have been up with the Cubs this season.

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano's right leg held up well in his return from the disabled list Tuesday. On Wednesday, he delivered his first hit since coming back and survived an awkward stagger-and-stop into third while advancing on a fly ball. Manager Lou Piniella said Soriano has the green light to do whatever he wants on the bases.

''He knows what he has to do. This guy's a crafty veteran,'' Piniella said. ''He's going to take chances when he needs to and be safe when he doesn't.''

One precaution Piniella plans to take for Soriano's first few games back is to replace him defensively in the late innings if the Cubs have a lead, as they did Tuesday.

''I thought his legs might have been getting tired,'' Piniella said. ''Remember, he's had no rehab.''

The Cubs still are looking for a possible waiver trade to add veteran help before playoff rosters are set Friday, but team officials say there doesn't appear to be anybody out there right now better than whom they have.

•  •  Outfielder Angel Pagan, who has been on the disabled list the last three weeks because of colitis, said he's back to about 70 percent strength and expects to go on a brief minor-league rehab assignment this weekend, probably with Class A Peoria.

•  •  The Brewers named left-hander Manny Parra (0-1, 3.09 ERA) to start the series finale tonight against the Cubs, who are 12-20 when opponents start a left-hander and are hitting only .253 against them.

•  •  The opening game Tuesday of the Cubs' series against the Milwaukee Brewers was the highest-rated broadcast for a Cubs game on Comcast SportsNet. The 8.05 rating translates to about 278,000 households.