The Chicago Cubs signed former Toronto closer B.J. Ryan to a minor league deal yesterday, hoping to add another left-hander to their bullpen.

Released by the Blue Jays earlier this month, the 33-year-old Ryan will first report to the Cubs' spring training complex in Mesa, Ariz. If all goes well, he'll join Triple-A Iowa.

The Cubs have only one left-handed reliever, Sean Marshall. Cubs manager Lou Piniella employed a unique strategy to keep Marshall in the game last weekend, moving him to left field when a righty reliever came in, then bringing him back to pitch one batter later.

"When they feel he's ready, we'll bring him up," Piniella said before the Cubs played at Washington. "We don't really have much left-handed depth in this organization."

The Cubs started the second half at 43-43, 3 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis.

Ryan was in the fourth year of a five-year, $47 million contract. He was 1-1 with a 6.53 ERA, and gave up 22 hits, including five home runs, and 17 walks in 20 2/3 innings.

BREWERS

BUSH'S RETURN STALLS

The Milwaukee Brewers probably aren't going to get starter Dave Bush back next week as hoped.

The Brewers decided to send the right-hander for another medical exam yesterday, a day after he had a poor showing in a minor league rehab start.

Bush has been on the disabled list since June 23 with a small tear in his right triceps, which made his arm feel tired. He made his second medical rehab start on Wednesday for Double-A Huntsville and gave up six hits and five runs in only three innings, struggling to throw strikes.

"He felt some fatigue yesterday," general manager Doug Melvin said. "The reason he went on the DL was fatigue in his arm. We wanted to make sure we get him looked at."

HALL OF FAME

REGGIE OFFENDED

Reggie Jackson, a two-time World Series most valuable player, said there's no room in baseball's Hall of Fame for those who have used steroids and he's disturbed the record books have been affected by the cheating.

The 63-year-old Jackson is 12th on the all-time list for home runs with 563. Players who have moved ahead of him and been linked to performance-enhancing drug use include Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, the career leader with 762.

"It bothers me," Jackson said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. "A lot of Hall of Famers are very offended by it. I am starting to get affected and I am hoping that those guys that get caught don't get into the Hall of Fame."

Jackson played for the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981 and currently serves as a special adviser to the team.