HOUSTON -- The Astros are hoping that Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens return in 2007, but if they don't, the club will have some extra holes to fill in its starting rotation.

While they'll certainly be looking at the free agent and trade markets for veteran starters, the Astros may have a candidate in-house who could handle the job -- Dan Wheeler.

Sure, Wheeler's been a super setup man for more than two years, and he's stepped in quite well as a closer this season, too. But Wheeler was a starter in the Minor Leagues and would have no objections if the club asked him to return to his roots.

"It all comes down to whatever the team wants," he said. "If they approached me and said, 'We'd like to give it a shot,' I'd be all for it. I came up as a starter in the Minor Leagues. I always wanted to be a starter. For me, now, I want to be in the big leagues. So, if it's the best possible thing for me to be in the bullpen, then that's great, too."

Wheeler senses he could be successful as a starter for one main reason: He now has two more pitches -- a curveball and splitter -- to accompany his normal fastball-slider repertoire.

"[Starting] would be fun," Wheeler said. "It would be another challenge."

General manager Tim Purpura didn't appear to be bowled over by the idea, but he acknowledged that it was "provacative."

"He's a very durable guy," Purpura said. "He bounces back very well in his current role. I don't know. Those are the kinds of things in the winter that you discuss. You do that with everybody -- what can their roles be, can they do this? Even in the Minor League system, we try to get guys to play different positions, take on different roles."

Surgery pending: Chris Burke knew that he would need to have surgery on his shoulder once the season was over, and if the Astros don't advance to the playoffs, he'll probably have it on Thursday, Oct. 5.

Burke plans to fly to Birmingham, Ala., where Dr. James Andrews will repair the torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder and tighten the capsule surrounding the shoulder.

Burke has had a few mishaps that caused the shoulder to pop out of its socket, and when it happened while he was taking a swing, he knew that surgery was inevitable.

"I decided when I swung at a pitch that I was going to have it," Burke said.

Taveras improving: Willy Taveras wasn't in the lineup on Sunday, but a return could be on the immediate horizon for the center fielder.

Taveras hasn't played since Sept. 16, other than a brief defensive appearance during Saturday's win over the Cardinals. He's been nursing a sore left shoulder that he hurt on a dive, but manager Phil Garner is confident that Taveras will be able to play soon.

"He's playable," Garner said. "We'll probably just give him another day."

Short rest: On regular rest, Roy Oswalt would have one more start during the regular season -- Thursday in Pittsburgh -- and Andy Pettitte would have two -- Tuesday in Pittsburgh, and Sunday in Atlanta.

But if Oswalt pitches on short rest and starts on Wednesday, he could squeeze in one more outing on Sunday for the final game of the season.

That would mean Pettitte would probably also have to pitch on short rest, absorbing Saturday's start in Atlanta as well as the start on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

If the Astros' playoff hopes are still intact when they begin their final road trip, Pettitte would be more than happy to take on an extra start.

"I told [Garner], 'Whatever I can do,'" Pettitte said.

Three million: The Astros surpassed the 3 million mark in attendance for the third time in franchise history with Sunday's game, recording 26 sellouts, one short of the club record.

The Astros drew 3 million in their inaugural season at their new downtown ballpark in 2000, and also in 2004.

"The fans have been good," Garner said. "I'm not surprised [about the 3 million mark] -- the year after getting to the World Series, you've got a lot of carry from that. Our fans have been great. It's been fun these last couple of nights -- it's been noisy again. That's good."

Coming up: The Astros will fly to Philadelphia to play a makeup game against the Phillies on Monday before heading to Pittsburgh for a three-game set with the Pirates. Right-hander Matt Albers (0-2, 6.00 ERA) will start the game with the Phillies, who will counter with left-hander Randy Wolf (4-0, 5.47 ERA).