"Kerry Wood is eligible to come off the disabled list with his blister injury, but he doesn't appear close to returning action.

Wood, whose DL stint was backdated to June 9, missed nearly a month in the summer of 2008 with the same injury. He has thrown with and without padding on the right index finger, but the skin has not healed enough for Cubs trainers to clear Wood for a rehab assignment.

"I'm trying to understand the blister thing," manager Mike Quade said. "It's somewhat healed, but now you need layers of skin, a thickness, or even a callus if you can get it.""