Just in case you haven’t heard enough from the New England media about Theo Epstein joining the Chicago Cubs, certainly one of the slowest-developing deals in Major League Baseball history, here’s a sampling of what they are saying in Chicago.

Without citing any sources, Michael Kaplan of NBCChicago.com wrote Monday:

Both the Cubs and Red Sox expect to make a deal that will allow general manager Theo Epstein to come to Chicago before Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday … it seems reasonable to expect a press conference as early as Tuesday announcing Epstein’s arrival on the North Side.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune has a decidedly different take:

There’s been no real progress to report in the Theo Epstein compensation talks, and no apparent sense of urgency by Boston to get a deal done quickly, sources said Monday.

If the Cubs and Red Sox don’t come to an agreement by Tuesday night, they’ll probably have to wait until after the World Series because MLB prohibits teams from making major announcements during its biggest event.

Wrote Bruce Levin of ESPNChicago.com:

The Boston Red Sox initially wanted Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza to be included as compensation for general manager Theo Epstein, but the Cubs refused, according to major league sources …

Recently the teams have been discussing minor leaguers as compensation, according to the sources.

From Gordon Whittenmeyer at the Chicago Sun-Times (2011 Pulitzer Prize winner):

According to players, agents, rival executives and associates, Epstein — still a relative kid for this job at 37 — is as smart and shrewd as it gets in the business. And he brings confidence and a plan.

He also inherits a mess.

Sort of what like he is leaving behind in Boston.

Update: Meanwhile, back in Beantown, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reported late Monday that “an announcement regarding the status of GM Theo Epstein is ‘not likely”‘on Tuesday, meaning that the matter will likely remain unresolved until after the World Series,” according to his source.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan makes a running catch of a fly ball by Chicago Cubs’ Marlon Byrd during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, in Chicago.

Shaun Marcum threw eight strong innings and the Milwaukee Brewers moved a step closer to the NL Central title with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Marcum (13-7) allowed five hits and one run and chipped in at the plate by doubling and scoring during Milwaukee’s four-run third inning.
Rickie Weeks drove in two runs and Nyjer Morgan reached base three times, stole a base and scored two runs to help the Brewers reach 91 wins for the first time since 1992.
Milwaukee needs a combination of three wins or Cardinals losses to clinch the division. The Cardinals played the Mets on Tuesday night.
Chicago’s Randy Wells (7-5) allowed six hits and five runs in five innings.
Rickie Weeks drove in two runs and Nyjer Morgan reached base three times, stole a base and scored two runs for the Brewers.
Marcum threw just 97 pitches, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter during an efficient performance that came on the heels of two poor starts in which he allowed 10 runs in 11 2-3 innings. Marcum has never lost three straight starts.
The only damage against Marcum came on Starlin Castro’s leadoff homer in the sixth. Castro has reached base in 33 straight games, the longest such streak by a Cubs shortstop since Woody English in 1929. Castro has 336 career hits, surpassing Glenn Beckert’s franchise record for hits by a player in his first two seasons (post-1900).
Randy Wells (7-5) was roughed up in his second straight outing, allowing six hits and five runs in five innings.
The Brewers didn’t get a hit off Wells until Marcum’s one-out double in the third ignited Milwaukee’s big inning. Marcum scored on Corey Hart’s double. Morgan singled in Hart, stole second and scored on Ryan Braun’s RBI single. Weeks capped the inning by singling home Braun.
Darwin Barney doubled twice for the Cubs.
NOTES: Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez left the game after the sixth inning because of a mild strain in his right quad and is listed as day to day. … Brewers 1B Prince Fielder walked twice and surpassed the 100-walk mark for the third straight season. … Former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry spent some time on the field before the game chatting with players, coaches and media. Hendry was fired on Aug. 19 after more than 16 years with the organization, including over nine years as the team’s GM. His permanent replacement has not been hired though Randy Bush is filling in on an interim basis. … Cubs special assistant to the general manager Gary Hughes resigned on Tuesday, effective Oct. 31. The scouting guru has been with the organization since 2002 and has spent 44 years in professional baseball, working with a total of nine different franchises. … Matt Garza will start the Cubs’ home finale on Wednesday, his first start since throwing a career-high 124 pitches in a complete-game no decision against Houston on Sept. 16. He’ll face Randy Wolf, who is 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts against Chicago this season.

The Chicago Cubs recalled outfielder Tyler Colvin from the triple-A Iowa Cubs on Tuesday after putting outfielder Alfonso Soriano on the 15-day disabled list.

Colvin was optioned from Chicago on May 17 and batted .260 with five doubles, two triples, a home run, and eight RBI in 12 games with Iowa.

The Iowa Cubs also added infielder Augie Ojeda to their active roster on Tuesday. The veteran has been recovering from back spasms that ended his bid to make the Chicago Cubs’ opening day roster.

Ojeda spent the past four seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and hasn’t played in the minor leagues since 2007. He last played with Iowa in 2006.

The Iowa Cubs start a four-game series in Nashville on Tuesday night. Right-hander Casey Coleman makes his first start of the season for Iowa after being optioned from Chicago on Saturday. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.

Iowa Cubs’ 2011 schedule

CHICAGO – Matt Garza became the third starting pitcher on the Chicago Cubs’ disabled list when he was shelved Tuesday with right elbow stiffness.

Garza was scratched from his scheduled start at Boston on Sunday night and eventually diagnosed with an elbow bone contusion. The DL stint is retroactive to May 18, and he could return when Chicago travels to St. Louis for a weekend series on June 3-5.

“I’m not happy to be on the DL,” Garza said. “I fought it. It’s not like I chose to do it. The team and everybody above me feel it’s the best thing to do and I trust their advice. There’s nothing I can do. I’d rather be out there 100 percent than put myself in jeopardy and put the team in even bigger jeopardy.”

The 6-foot-4 right-hander is 2-4 with a 3.72 ERA in nine starts in his first year with Chicago. He won 15 games with Tampa Bay last season and was acquired in a trade over the winter.

“It’s just a deep bone bruise with some inflammation around the joint,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “The good news is he knows it’s not going to do any damage to the ligament, which is always the most important thing about getting MRIs. It’s the best news we could have hoped for and there is improvement since Boston already.”

Garza joins Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner among the starting pitchers on the injured list. Wells (strain in his right forearm) is expected to come off the DL to start Saturday against Pittsburgh. Cashner (rotator cuff strain) visited Dr. Lewis Yocum in California on Tuesday, and the renowned orthopedist confirmed the righty doesn’t need surgery.

“It is what it is,” Garza said of the banged-up rotation. “You can’t really control that. As long as you have guys who can go up there and run it up and carry the staff while other guys are down. When we get back to full strength, it’s gonna be fun to get after it.”

Outfielder Lou Montanez was promoted from Triple-A Iowa to take Garza’s roster spot and started Tuesday night against the New York Mets. He had an RBI double in the second inning.

To make room for Montanez on the 40-man roster, right-hander Brian Schlitter was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

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AP freelance writer Travis Miller contributed to this report.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://twitter.com/jcohenap

MILWAUKEE (AP)—The Chicago Cubs recalled right-hander Jeff Stevens(notes) from Triple-A Iowa after placing starting pitchers Randy Wells(notes) and Andrew Cashner(notes) on the 15-day disabled list because of arm injuries.

Right-hander Casey Coleman(notes) will pitch against Milwaukee on Sunday, and Cubs manager Mike Quade says left-hander James Russell(notes) will start Tuesday at Houston.

Quade says Russell won’t be expected to throw more than a few innings Tuesday, and expects to use multiple relievers behind him.

Wells has a strain in his right forearm, and Cashner has a mild strain in the back of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder.