MESA, Ariz. -- Kerry Wood will pitch Wednesday instead of Tuesday, but is still on track to start the Chicago Cubs' home opener April 8 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Wood was to start Tuesday against Milwaukee, which would've been his first Cactus League game since March 9. He's been sidelined with tightness in his right shoulder and missed another scheduled start because of lower back discomfort.

"I want to give him the five days this time and really get a good workout and have him get his pitch totals up," Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Sunday.

"We'd bring him back on the off day [April 3] to pitch two or three [innings] in Triple-A," Rothschild said. "This start [on Wednesday] is to get him ready for the season."

Wood had no problems after throwing 63 pitches in a simulated game on Friday. Rothschild said the right-hander felt good after that session.

Sergio Mitre will start Tuesday against Milwaukee for the Cubs in Wood's place.

Mark Prior will try to keep his record perfect in simulated games when he takes the mound on the back field on Monday. Asked how long the right-hander will throw, Rothschild said he'll "play it by ear."

Prior would prefer to be facing someone other than his own teammates, and would rather have the numbers count toward Cactus League play. But the Cubs right-hander has been slowed this spring by inflammation in his right elbow and Monday's session is part of his rehab.

Cubs manager Dusty Baker couldn't say whether Prior would start before the team ends its spring schedule next Saturday in Las Vegas. The Cubs want to see how Prior feels after Monday's session. Prior sounded a little more optimistic.

"I think I'm about 4-0 in simulated starts the last two, three years," Prior said in an interview on WGN Radio Sunday. "Things are feeling good right now. I'm just trying to progress every day and just get better every day. I think things will work out well this year. I'm not worried about it as much as has been talked about and written about. I think it'll be a good year for us."

Prior missed all of Spring Training and the first two months of last season because of problems with his Achilles and elbow, but that was a different elbow injury. He never had a definite diagnosis for the problem, and says "it was an unusual injury."

The mission this spring is to get the inflammation out, and get ready for the season.

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"I'm looking forward to getting back out there," Prior said. "I'll probably miss a couple starts, but I fully expect to make my 30 starts."

Can he get ready for the regular season if he only pitches in simulated games?

"Yes and no," Prior said. "Yes, you can get ready throwing sim games and get the strength and stamina and endurance you need. But the mental side of facing big league hitters and seeing what they do and how they react is always important. I didn't understand how important it was until I missed last year."

Prior admitted he was "playing catch up a lot last year" and didn't catch up with the hitters until September. He was 2-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his final five starts last season.

The right-hander said he hopes to get in a game by the end of the week.

"It's important to get comfortable facing those guys," Prior said. "It's important to know you can go out and get guys out at that level."

Last year, Prior learned to be patient and also to ignore the rumors regarding his health status.

"People will write what they want to write and say what they want to say because that's what is fun I guess," he said. "My job and the only thing I can ever worry about is getting out on the mound and let my performance speak for itself.

"If a guy likes Nomar (Garciaparra) goes down, he's in the same situation," Prior said of all the attention. "My job is to get out and try to progress day by day and stay positive. I think last year I put pressure on myself to come back and try to give this team a big lift."