Cubs weigh – Justin Steele’s comeback from elbow surgery has been delayed by a flexor-strain setback, leaving the Cubs’ injury-stressed pitching staff to rely on limited options. Team officials call him hopeful, not guaranteed, as they track his recovery and other starters
By Tuesday, Justin Steele had been aiming to be back pitching for the Cubs.
It didn’t happen. A flexor-strain setback derailed the left-hander’s comeback from last season’s elbow surgery, throwing another obstacle onto a rotation that has grown increasingly injury-plagued.
Steele still sounded determined about what he wants from this season.
“The objective’s still the same,” Steele said Tuesday. “I want to pitch in games this year. I want to pitch in meaningful games. I just want to pitch, honestly.”
He’s not alone in waiting for his turn. The Cubs’ injured list includes righties Cade Horton and Jameson Taillon and lefty Matthew Boyd, leaving the team with less pitching depth than it would want as it tries to steady itself after an early-summer stumble.
The next step in Steele’s recovery is set to begin next week. He’ll be around the team for the next few weeks so they can evaluate his progress up close, giving them a clearer sense of his ability to pitch this season. Still, it’s been a long time off since the roadblock hit in April.
For a team that has already been tested, Steele’s potential impact matters. The Cubs’ starters entered Wednesday with a 5.98 ERA since May 9, the second highest in baseball during that span.
As they look ahead to other return windows. the questions pile up: how much can Steele help before the season ends. and how quickly can the Cubs regain innings that are already in short supply?. Boyd is scheduled for a minor league rehab start Saturday. and the Cubs are eyeing Taillon’s return sometime after the All-Star break.
Inside the organization, the mood around Steele is guarded. Team president Jed Hoyer said Tuesday, “I’d say [we’re] hopeful. ‘Optimism’ might be strong. He’s had some setbacks. The hope is he can avoid [further] setbacks and help us later in the season.”
Manager Craig Counsell struck the same balance between patience and necessity.
“He’s got [enough] runway,” Counsell said. “We can’t afford setbacks. But I think he’s got time.”
The Cubs are also managing discomfort in other parts of the roster.
Seiya Suzuki. the right fielder. made his third consecutive start as the Cubs’ designated hitter Wednesday as the team tries to put behind it the knee discomfort that knocked him out of Saturday’s game in San Francisco. The plan is to keep Suzuki as the DH through the upcoming weekend series against the Blue Jays. The hope is that he can return to the outfield next week. when the Cubs travel to New York for a four-game series with the Mets.
With Suzuki sidelined from the outfield. utility man Matt Shaw has been filling the role with an impact that’s hard to ignore. In the three games against the Rockies. Shaw had a huge stretch as the right fielder. picking up five hits—including two triples. one of which started the scoring in the Cubs’ seven-run second inning Wednesday. He also drew Monday’s walk-off walk, drove in four runs, and scored three more.
Back on the pitching side, the Cubs faced another scare Tuesday night when righty starter Edward Cabrera was forced to leave early in the fifth inning due to a hand cramp.
The next day sounded like a relief, at least for now.
“Everything is good,” Counsell said. “Right now, from our feedback, it was a cramp. It’s resolved itself. He kind of had a normal Day 1 post-start. We’ll obviously monitor it and see what happens after bullpen day and things like that. Right now, we appear to be in good shape.”
The sequencing has been brutal for the Cubs: each setback threatens to turn one recovery into another waiting game. Steele wants games—meaningful games—but his timeline depends on how his body responds from here. while the staff around him continues to juggle absences and quick checks for anything that could turn into the next long interruption.
Cubs Justin Steele rehabilitation flexor strain elbow surgery Jed Hoyer Craig Counsell injury report rotation Seiya Suzuki Matt Shaw Edward Cabrera