It's the worst time of the year to be a Cubs fan right now, for the calendar has finally turned over to September, and that means it's time for the Cubs to collapse. So here we are on September 4th, and the Cubs have lost their last five games, but luckily for them the Brewers haven't gained any ground on them in the process.

That's the end of the good news, though, as millions of Cubs fans woke up this morning to read their copy of the Chicago Tribune and were hit with this headline: Zambrano's season is in jeopardy.

The silence surrounding the pain that is said to be in Carlos Zambrano's valuable right shoulder could speak volumes and the Cubs seemed to be preparing for the worst Wednesday, that Zambrano could be out for a long period, perhaps the rest of the season.

Manager Lou Piniella, who served as team spokesman, said he knew little of Zambrano's examination by team orthopedist Stephen Gryzlo, why Zambrano skipped his MRI appointment or how long Zambrano would be out, although Sean Marshall will start in his place Sunday.

Oh, but it gets worse. Zambrano isn't the only member of the Cubs rotation who is dealing with a mysterious injury right now, as Rich Harden has had his next start pushed back to next Wednesday thanks to some discomfort in his throwing arm.

Obviously, this is horrible news for a Cubs team that seemingly had everything going for it all season. While I don't think any of this will keep the Cubs from making the playoffs (their lead is still rather comfortable), it sure as hell isn't going to help them end their World Series drought.