Cubs pitcher Kevin Hart has had some tough luck in the past couple of days.

Hart, 26, was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday to clear space for an extra relief pitcher for the Cubs weekend series against the Cardinals. The team will make a corresponding roster move before Friday's game and could call up right-handed relief pitcher Jeff Stevens, who was acquired from Cleveland in the trade for Mark DeRosa.

In his first career major league start on Wednesday, Hart limited the Braves to one run in five innings but received the loss. He pitched in and out of trouble, allowing four hits and walking five batters before quelling several scoring threats.

The Cubs have carried six relief pitchers for the past week and want to add bullpen depth for the important series against St. Louis before the All-Star break. Stevens, 25, is 0-3 with a 2.18 ERA in 30 relief appearances at Triple-A Iowa this season.

The Cubs also reinstated left-handed reliever Jason Waddell from the 15-day disabled list Thursday and optioned him to Iowa. He was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in three relief appearances for the Cubs this season.

-Tom Musick

The White Sox could improve their record to a season-best five games above .500 with a win Thursday against the Indians.

The Sox have won their last five games against Cleveland as they aim for a second consecutive sweep. That marks the best stretch against Cleveland since 2003, when the Sox won six straight games against their AL Central rivals.

The Indians aren't the only team that the Sox have fared well against lately. Ozzie Guillen's club has won nine of its last 11 games and 16 of its last 22 games to pull within two games of the first-place Detroit Tigers.

Sox starter Clayton Richard (3-2, 4.75) will oppose Indians southpaw David Huff (4-3, 6.06) on Thursday. Richard could be tested during the Indians' second time through the batting order – he has a 2.86 ERA during his first and second innings as a starter, but a 7.41 during the third and fourth innings.

Here is today's lineup for the White Sox:

1. Scott Podsednik, CF
2. Alexei Ramirez, SS
3. Jermaine Dye, RF
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
7. Jayson Nix, LF
8. Chris Getz, 2B
9. Gordon Beckham, 3B

The game starts at 1:05 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet and WSCR-AM 670.

-Tom Musick

Cubs fans searching for answers about the team's hitting slump might want to listen to Von Joshua, the club's new hitting coach.

Joshua shared his insight after the Cubs' latest disappointing defeat Tuesday. His observations provided some refreshing substance after months of shoulder shrugs from players and vague assertions that the team would start to hit well eventually.

"Maybe it's unconscious or whatever, but it seems like everyone is trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark," Joshua said. "I'm just trying to get the guys to relax and just hit the ball where it's pitched, and not try to pull everything. That's the biggest thing I see."

Milton Bradley's season-long slump, particularly from the left side, has symbolized much of the team's failure to live up to expectations in 2009. Bradley started to hit well in recent weeks but struggled in the Cubs series loss to the Braves.

Joshua said Bradley's left-handed technique was out of whack. He featured an open stance on the lower half of his body and a closed stance on the upper half of his body, Joshua said.

"You can read his whole name on his back before he starts his rotation," Joshua said. "You can't hit like that. ... He can't see the pitch."

Bradley's right-handed stance was fine, Joshua said.

"You can't match your left side to your right side," he said. "I think that's what Milton tries to do, but you can't do that. It's two different swings."

Another struggling hitter, Alfonso Soriano, seemed closer to finding success.

"Sori has showed signs," Joshua said. "In batting practice, he shows signs that he's coming out of it, and he feels upbeat. I think Sori will come out of it, but I'm a little concerned about Milt on his left side."

Joshua admitted that it was tough for hitters to break bad habits at the big league level. But the Cubs don't have any other choice if they want to contend.

"I can't hit for them," Joshua said. "All I can do is give them the message."

Once Bradley, Soriano and other veterans start to hear the message, younger players might follow suit with timely hits of their own.

"If the big guys are doing what they're supposed to do, it would definitely help the young guys," Joshua said. "Above all, they just need to not try to think they've got to get a home run on every pitch."

-Tom Musick

The White Sox agreed to terms with top draft pick Jared Mitchell on Tuesday.

Mitchell, 20, starred in center field for Louisiana State University before the Sox selected him with the 23rd overall pick this June. He hit .327 with 11 home runs, 50 RBIs and 35 stolen bases this season to help lift LSU to its sixth NCAA baseball championship in school history.

Voters selected Mitchell as the "Most Outstanding Player" of the College World Series. He hit a three-run home run in the championship game and finished the tournament with a .348 batting average, two home runs and seven RBIs in six games.

Terms of Mitchell's deal with the Sox were not disclosed. He will start his professional career with Single-A Kannapolis on Thursday, where he will try to replicate the success of the team's past two first-round picks, Aaron Poreda and Gordon Beckham.

-Tom Musick

The Cubs and Braves plan to start about 2 p.m. after a brief rain delay at Wrigley Field.

Rain prevented the game from starting as scheduled at 1:20 p.m. The grounds crew covered the infield with tarp shortly before the scheduled start time, prompting boos from disappointed fans.

The Cubs also made a late switch to their lineup after catcher Geovany Soto strained his left oblique muscle during batting practice Wednesday. Soto will undergo an MRI on the muscle near his ribcage and could miss the Cubs' weekend series against St. Louis.

Reserve catcher Koyie Hill will start in place of Soto, while Cubs manager Lou Piniella placed Ryan Theriot back in the lineup and benched Andres Blanco. Theriot was scheduled to receive the day off before Soto injured himself.

Here is the updated Cubs lineup:

1. Kosuke Fukudome, CF
2. Ryan Theriot, SS
3. Derrek Lee, 1B
4. Aramis Ramirez, 3B
5. Milton Bradley, RF
6. Jake Fox, LF
7. Jeff Baker, 2B
8. Koyie Hill, C
9. Kevin Hart, P

-Tom Musick