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Aramis Ramirez has not played since May 8 and the Cubs have struggled at times without him.

By Steve Phillips, ESPN

The Chicago Cubs entered the season with great expectations, and until the past three days in sweeping the Indians at Wrigley Field, not much has gone right. Injuries have certainly played a part, primarily the loss of third baseman Aramis Ramirez and what it has meant to their offense.

Ramirez is the Cubs' best hitter and run producer and the centerpiece of their lineup. Even though the offense seemed to turn it around the past four days -- a come-from-behind win against the White Sox preceded the sweep of Cleveland -- Ramirez's impact has definitely impacted the Cubs' offense as a whole. When Ramirez returns, I expect this offense to improve, not only because of what he will give them but also because it will help those hitting around him in the lineup.

Sometimes offensive struggles are contagious and it sure feels that way on the Cubs. Alfonso Soriano got off to a pretty good start but, has struggled badly since then. Milton Bradley, who has started to hit a bit the past two weeks, had an awful start, too, both at the plate and with a few temper tantrums. Geovany Soto, despite his homer in Sunday's win, has also been a disappointment so far this year. They got so much from him last year, but he just hasn't shown up this season. He had 23 home runs in 2008 but has only five in 54 games thus far this year.

The Cubs have good players who haven't played well, which makes it difficult for a general manager to try to fix. Maybe that's changing, which would make it easier for general manager Jim Hendry. Because when you have good players that aren't performing, you can't go out and replace an entire roster full of veterans with multiyear contracts. The team is going to have to find a way to win with the players it has.

I completely understand why they traded Mark DeRosa in the offseason to free up the money to add Bradley's switch-hitting bat. But when injuries take a toll on a team, a player like DeRosa can be a savior for a manager because he produces offensively and plays more than adequate defense at any number of positions. They could really use a guy like him right now.

The only place I could see where Hendry could add an offensive player is at second base. Mike Fontenot could go back to his utility role, where he has thrived the past few years. One of the issues with a lack of offense is the pressure it puts on the pitching staff. When your starters feel like they can't afford to give up multiple runs, that can cause them to try too hard and can lead to big innings. The team's pitching is actually the least of their problems. The Cubs' rotation has the fifth-best ERA in baseball (3.88).

Manager Lou Piniella has a challenge on his hands, and I don't think the solution is a tirade by Piniella like the one that worked a couple of years ago. To his credit, he has resisted that urge. Their problem isn't the manager or the pitching. It is that their good offensive players just aren't getting it done on a consistent basis. Again, maybe it's turning.

Ramirez's return will help, but it's going to take more than just him if the Cubs are going to make up the ground necessary to win the division. It's going to take more offensive efforts like the ones they got over the weekend.

I think their best baseball is still ahead of them. Soriano, Bradley and Lee all have track records of success -- and Lee is on a roll in June, hitting .375 with six homers -- and players tend to return to their career levels sooner or later. The good news for the Cubs is that nobody seems ready to run away with the NL Central. So if they can stay fairly close -- and they are at 2½ back of St. Louis -- they'll still be in a strong position to make a run in the second half.

Past Baseball Tonight Clubhouses: June 18 | June 17 | June 16 | June 15 | June 14

WEB GEMS SCOREBOARD

This season, "Baseball Tonight" will be tracking Web Gems. We'll publish a leaderboard on the Baseball Tonight Clubhouse page each Monday. In addition to listing the leaders in appearances (both players and teams) on "Baseball Tonight," we'll offer up the leaders in Web Gem points.

Web Gem points will be calculated by awarding five points for the night's top defensive play, four points for second, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth. Scoring will be based on the Web Gems from the last "Baseball Tonight" show to air on a given night.

Web Gem points leaderboard
Brandon Inge	24
Carlos Gomez	22
Ryan Sweeney	19
Michael Bourn	18
Nick Punto	17
Robert Andino	17
Orlando Hudson	17
David Wright	17

Web Gem appearances leaderboard (players)
David Wright	New York Mets	Third base	8
Brandon Inge	Detroit	Third base	8
Ryan Zimmerman	Washington	Third base	6
Carlos Gomez	Minnesota	Center field	6

Web Gem appearances leaderboard (teams)
Washington	20
Philadelphia	17
Cincinnati	16
New York Mets	16
Pittsburgh	16
Boston	16

ON DECK: MONDAY'S MATCHUPS

Cubs at Braves, 7:10 p.m. ET

This is a makeup from a June 4 rainout. Both Ryan Dempster and Javier Vazquez have ERAs under 4.00, but the two are a combined 8-10 on the year. Vazquez has not won since May 20; Dempster hasn't won since May 30.

Cardinals at Mets, 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN2

The Cardinals are coming off a solid run against the American League Central. They took six of nine against Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City. The Mets limp in, having lost four of five and now trail the Phillies by two games.

Rockies at Angels, 10:05 p.m. ET

Matt Palmer still hasn't lost. The Angels' starter, who is 6-0, has not given up more than three runs in a start since May 24. Aaron Cook has won his past three starts, giving up five total runs over 21 innings.

For the rest of Monday's schedule, click here.