CHICAGO -- Kerry Wood will make his final tuneup on Tuesday, pitching for Double-A Tennessee, and if all goes well, he could be in the Cubs' bullpen by the weekend.

Wood, who has been trying to rehab his right shoulder, was expected to come into an inning in relief for Tennessee, then pitch one more inning. The Smokies are playing at West Tenn. on Tuesday.

"If he goes through [Tuesday] well, and wakes up the next day and is fine like he has been, you'll see Kerry activated Thursday or Friday," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Monday.

Hendry saw Wood pitch one inning in relief last Friday for Class A Peoria, and saw nothing but positives.

"I could see right away it wasn't taking him long to get loose," Hendry said. "He was nice and fluid. The ball was coming out of his hand real easy down in the bullpen and his command was good. He threw 13 pitches, nine strikes, and when you're coming off an injury -- rehab is more than a gun time. When a guy has good command and good velocity the second day in a row, usually you're on the road to good health."

Wood has totaled seven innings in his seven rehab outings so far for the Mesa Rookie League team and for Peoria. The Cubs aren't looking too hard for bullpen help by Tuesday's trading deadline. They'll be getting Wood.

"We get him on the roster and keep him healthy, it's like trading for a good reliever," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We'll see how that goes."

Wood won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1998, but missed all of 1999 following elbow surgery, and has battled shoulder problems since 2004. He did pitch in relief in 2005, but needed arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in August that year. He's been trying to come back since. Although used primarily as a starter, Wood now will be assigned to the bullpen as a setup pitcher.

"I saw him pitch in 2005 out of the bullpen," Cubs closer Ryan Dempster said. "I know there are guys around the league who have tremendous stuff and great pitchers out of the pen, like J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez. Woody was as dominating as anybody out of the bullpen as I've ever seen. When he warmed up, you couldn't see the ball.

"At the same time," Dempster continued, "people here in Chicago, and the media and the players and coaches and everybody cannot put pressure on him like he's going to come back like Cy Young. I always joke with him, 'You messed up -- your fifth start in the big leagues, you punched out 20.'

"The expectations of him are so high. Let him have some fun, let him enjoy it. He's a confident guy when he's out there pitching. Next thing you know, you could have something special down there. He's a guy who could be lights out."

So far, so good for Wood.

"He feels good and is looking forward to it," Piniella said of Tuesday's outing. "I would think that after tomorrow there aren't any more trials. Get him on the roster."