Baker will finish out season with Cubs

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Thursday that he will stick with Dusty Baker as his manager for the rest of the season.

"As far as the rest of the season goes, I let Dusty know today that he would be staying the rest of the year," Hendry said. "There won't be any discussions or questions to be asked about extensions now or anything like that. But I let him know that the next couple months, I felt it was best for the club that he complete the season and not worry about that."

Baker is in the fourth and final year of his contract for the Cubs, who are 39-61 this season.

The Cubs have been hurt by injuries to Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Derrek Lee. Lee was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with inflammation in his right wrist. The 2005 National League batting champ already had missed 59 games earlier in the season with a broken wrist.

Wood has a partially torn rotator cuff and could miss the rest of the season. Prior, who started the season on the DL, is 0-4.

"I didn't even know there was uncertainty about things. I thought after the All-Star break that was pretty much all that needed to be said about his job status. This is just another vote of confidence," Cubs catcher Michael Barrett said.

-- AP