July 31 -- TICK, TICK, TICK

CHICAGO -- T-minus four hours until the trade deadline. Here's what's going on:

The Phillies have all hands on deck here in Chicago (GM Pat Gillick, assistant GMs Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, special assistant Charley Kerfled and major-league scout Gordon Lakey). Before last night's game, most of them had a cell phone pressed to their ear. After completing their deal for Kyle Lohse, the Phillies set their sights on trying to find a relief pitcher. That process is still ongoing.

If the Phillies make a deal today, it won't be a big one. And it's a 50-50 proposition that they'll even be able to make a deal. Octavio Dotel appears to be headed to Atlanta. Dan Wheeler already has been sent to Tampa Bay and Scott Linebrink to Milwaukee. The pool of available relievers may include Eric Gagne, Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Damaso Marte, Salomon Torres, Al Reyes and Scott Proctor. I say "may" because I'm still not certain the Nationals will sell off Cordero and Rauch, the price for Gagne is high and the Pirates always seem to do a lot more talking than dealing. (Update, 12:34 p.m.: The Yankees have traded Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit).

That Anthony Reyes rumor, by the way, appears to be dead. The Cardinals, after sweeping the Brewers, think they're back on the fringes of the wild-card race and have stopped talking about moving Reyes. They even just traded for Red Sox reject reliever Joel Piniero.

As always, please keep checking back here. I'll update if and when the Phillies make a move. Meanwhile, please keep weighing in on the post below about the Kyle Lohse trade. My take: I like this deal. Matt Maloney has potential, but he isn't exactly Carlos Carrasco. And if Lohse helps the Phillies into the playoffs, Maloney will be a small sacrifice.

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Still trying to get over a Manic Monday here in Chicago. The Phillies traded for Lohse to help fortify their starting rotation, but that proved to be merely an appetizer. Led by Cole Hamels and homers by ex-White Sox Aaron Rowand and Tadahito Iguchi (big night for the South Side), they won for the ninth time in 10 games but lost two more players to injury. Shane Victorino strained his right calf and Michael Bourn sprained his left ankle.

"Uncle," closer Brett Myers said, referring to the string of injuries that has afflicted himself, Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber, Francisco Rosario, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth and now Victorino and Bourn.

We'll know more about the severity of Victorino's and Bourn's injuries today, but I'm betting both will miss some time. Victorino, in fact, sounded last night like a man destined for the disabled list. In case you're wondering, the Phillies' top minor-league outfielder is Chris Roberson, who isn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball for triple-A Ottawa.

Ordinarily, news that Madson's shoulder injury may not be as severe as the Phillies feared would top the daily notebook. Instead, it was trumped by Gillick's remarks about the Braves, which, generally speaking, went something like this: "Braves? We don't care about no stinkin' Braves." I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that's the gist. Also, there's news that Utley already can almost make a fist with his broken right hand.

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Walked into a book store on Michigan Ave. that had a "Harry Is Back" sign on the door. I assume it was referring to this Harry, but I suppose it could've been this one, too.