Cubs' Justin Steele: Shifts to 60-day injured list
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The Cubs transferred Steele (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Steele underwent UCL surgery last week and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2025 season, so the move won't affect his timeline for a return. The transaction will instead open up a spot on the 40-man roster for lefty reliever Drew Pomeranz, whose contract was selected in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Undergoes UCL surgery Friday
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Steele underwent UCL revision repair operation on his left elbow Friday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Steele was placed on the 15-day injured list April 9 with what was initially diagnosed as left elbow tendinitis, but further tests revealed significant UCL damage that required season-ending surgery. He was able to avoid Tommy John surgery, but he will sit for the rest of 2025 and will likely miss the early portion of the 2026 regular season. With Steele sidelined, Ben Brown and Colin Rea will continue to serve in the Cubs' rotation, though one of them will be bumped when Javier Assad (oblique) returns from the IL.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Set for season-ending surgery
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his flexor tendon and address UCL damage in his left elbow, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Counsell didn't go into specifics regarding the extent of the UCL damage, but if Steele requires a Tommy John surgery or internal brace procedure, his availability for the start of the 2026 season would also be affected. Steele was initially hopeful for a minimum-length stay on the 15-day injured list after he was deactivated Wednesday due to what the Cubs termed as left elbow tendinitis, but a more significant injury was detected after he received two medical opinions on his arm. With Steele now done for the rest of the 2025 season, the Cubs should have permanent spots in the rotation available for both Ben Brown and Colin Rea, at least until Javier Assad (oblique) is back from the IL.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Seeking second opinion
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Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Steele will get a second opinion on his left elbow, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Steele has now dealt with tendinitis in his left elbow in back-to-back seasons, and Counsell said the team wants to determine if his recent problems are the result of a larger issue, per Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network. The 29-year-old southpaw recently said he only expects to be on the injured list for the minimum 15 days, though that may change based on the results of his upcoming doctor's visit.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Aiming for minimum IL stay
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Steele (elbow) believes he will require only a minimum 15-day stay on the injured list, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Steele felt discomfort in his left elbow during the middle of Monday's start against the Rangers, but he remained in the game and threw a couple more scoreless innings, finishing the night with eight strikeouts over seven scoreless frames. However, he felt sore Tuesday and was placed on the IL on Wednesday with what the Cubs are calling left elbow tendinitis. Steele was on the IL last September with the same injury and missed three weeks of action that time. While it's encouraging that Steele believes he will make a quick return, the Cubs will have the ultimate say, and it's too soon to know how much time the southpaw will ultimately miss.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Goes on IL with elbow tendinitis
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The Cubs placed Steele on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with left elbow tendinitis, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Steele didn't show any indication of being hurt in his last outing, striking out eight over seven scoreless innings against the Rangers on Monday. However, he will now been shelved for at least next next couple weeks. Steele missed three weeks of action last September with the same injury, which is a bit worrisome. Colin Rea is an option to take Steele's spot in the rotation.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Slated for domestic opener
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Steele will start the Cubs' domestic opener March 27 in Arizona, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Steele started the second game of the Tokyo Series against the Dodgers this week -- allowing five runs over four innings -- and will get the first turn back home. He will be followed by Jameson Taillon against the Diamondbacks.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Tagged for five runs in Tokyo
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Steele (0-1) took the loss against the Dodgers in Tokyo on Wednesday after he surrendered five runs on five hits and one walk across four innings. He struck out five.
Steele struggled to a 9.35 ERA in three spring appearances, and those troubles carried over to his 2025 debut. The left-hander had a 0.7 HR/9 in the previous three seasons, but he was taken deep Wednesday by Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez. Steele built up to 67 pitches and could face some minor workload limitations for his first couple starts stateside as he continues to build up his arm.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Struggles in spring finale
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Steele (illness) allowed seven runs on 10 hits across 3.2 innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Brewers. He struck out three.
After being scratched from his scheduled start last week due to flu-like symptoms, Steele got bumped back to Tuesday and struggled with the extra time off, allowing three home runs in the short outing. The lefty finishes the spring with a rough 9.35 ERA across three appearances. Despite the poor showing in the Cactus League, Steele is slated to start the Cubs' second game of the regular season March 19 against the Dodgers in Tokyo.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Starting Tuesday's game
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Steele (illness) will start Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Brewers.
Steele was scratched from his previous scheduled start last Thursday against the Royals after experiencing flu-like symptoms, but he resumed throwing over the weekend without issue and won't be forced to miss any further turns through the spring rotation. Tuesday's outing will mark Steele's final start of spring training before he makes his 2025 debut during the Cubs' second game of the season March 19 versus the Dodgers in Tokyo.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Sharp in spring debut
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Steele tossed two scoreless innings in Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. He allowed two hits and struck out five.
In his first action of the spring, Steele already appeared to be in midseason form. The lefty was limited to only 24 starts last year due to hamstring and forearm injuries, but he was effective when healthy, compiling a 3.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 135:37 K:BB across 134.2 innings. Steele figures to slot in behind Shota Imanaga in Chicago's rotation this season, giving the Cubs an imposing 1-2 punch, and both are attractive options for fantasy managers.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Rejoining rotation Wednesday
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced Tuesday that Steele (elbow) will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday against the Athletics, Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.
The left-hander landed on the shelf after experiencing elbow tendinitis following his last start Aug. 27 in Pittsburgh, and he'll be back with the Cubs for the final week and a half of the campaign. If Chicago sticks to a five-man rotation, Steele tentatively lines up for three starts before the end of the regular season. The 29-year-old has a 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 131:34 K:BB across 128 innings this season.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Could return from IL soon
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Steele (elbow) told reporters after his bullpen session Saturday that he expects to be activated off the 15-day injured list during the Cubs' upcoming homestand, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Steele landed on the 15-day injured list Sept. 4 due to left elbow tendinitis. He threw a couple of bullpen sessions after some rest, and the 29-year-old southpaw appears to be nearing a return without the need for a rehab assignment. The earliest Steele can be activated off the IL is Sept. 18, which would be the series finale against the Athletics, though the Cubs could wait until the following series against the Nationals to activate Steele. He has a 5-5 record over 22 starts this season with a 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 131:34 K:BB across 128 innings.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Bullpen coming soon
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The Cubs are hopeful Steele will be cleared to throw a bullpen session at some point during the current road trip, which runs until Sunday in Colorado, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Manager Craig Counsell noted that Steele hasn't experienced any issues while playing catch, so the next step will be for the southpaw to resume throwing off a mound. He'll likely be asked to complete a side session or two before getting the green light to face live hitters.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Lands on injured list
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The Cubs placed Steele on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with left elbow tendinitis, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Steele had to be scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday due to inflammation in his elbow, and he'll now officially sit out for another few turns through the rotation following his latest diagnosis. Kyle Hendricks started in Steele's place against the Pirates and figures to serve as Chicago's fifth starter while the left-hander is sidelined.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: MRI shows elbow inflammation
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Steele has been diagnosed with left elbow inflammation following an MRI, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.
He will undergo additional imaging, but the left-hander received good news from the initial test results. Steele had to be scratched from a scheduled start Tuesday versus the Pirates due to elbow soreness, which he admitted he's been dealing with for a while. No decision has been made regarding a potential stint on the 15-day injured list, but it's a move that seems likely. Kyle Hendricks is starting in Steele's place Tuesday.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Dominates Tigers
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Steele (4-5) picked up the win Thursday against Detroit, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks across seven innings. He struck out 10.
Steele blanked the Tigers on two hits across the first six innings before allowing a single to Colt Keith and a two-run homer to Spencer Torkelson back-to-back in the seventh. The left-handed Steele reached double-digit strikeouts for the first time this season. In 21 starts, Steele has a 3.07 ERA and a 125:32 K:BB across 123 innings. Steele is on track to face the Pirates in Pittsburgh for his next start.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Strong in no-decision
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Steele allowed an unearned run on six hits and two walks while striking out eight over six innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox on Saturday.
Steele posted his second quality start in a row, but he didn't get enough run support while in the game to collect the win. The southpaw has allowed 16 runs (15 earned) over 43.2 innings across his last seven starts, while a pair of five-run outings has affected those numbers. For the year, Steele is at a 3.16 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 112:31 K:BB through 114 innings over 19 starts. He's projected to make his next outing at home versus the Blue Jays.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Handles Cardinals for third win
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Steele (3-5) got the win over the Cardinals on Sunday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six in 6.2 innings.
Steele and the Cubs went down 2-0 in the third after Masyn Winn opened up the scoring with a two-run blast to left. That was the only damage Steele would permit, and he was dominant otherwise, retiring 12 straight batters between the third and seventh innings. Steele has now given up a home run in back-to-back outings, but Sunday was his first start surpassing six innings since July 11. The 28-year-old lefty owns a 3.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 104:29 K:BB in 108 innings and lines up for a matchup against the reeling White Sox his next time on the mound.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Fans four in no-decision
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Steele did not factor into the decision in Wednesday's loss to the Brewers, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four in 5.1 innings.
Steele came out of the All-Star break flat, yielding five earned runs on nine hits in his previous start. Wednesday's outing was certainly an improvement, but his 4:3 K:BB was underwhelming, especially compared to his pre-intermission production. In nine starts leading up to the All-Star break, Steele dazzled with a 1.48 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 58:12 K:BB in 61 innings. The southpaw will look to find his form in his next start, currently scheduled for early next week in Cincinnati.
