As Chicago endures a brutal losing streak, Matthew Boyd nears a rehab assignment while Justin Steele and Jaxon Wiggins clear crucial milestones in their journeys back to Wrigley.
The Chicago Cubs haven’t received much good news lately.
They have lost 10 straight games, have been swept in back-to-back series, and have just two wins since May 9. The Cubs also recently placed Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list due to a blister issue.
However, the North Siders have received some encouraging news on Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele, and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins.
Boyd went on the 15-day injured list back on May 6 after injuring his meniscus while playing with his kids at home. He underwent surgery to partially repair his meniscus on May 6 and was set to miss around six weeks.
It now appears that Boyd will be back way before that six-week timeline. The southpaw is set to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday at Triple-A Iowa and will only need two rehab starts before being activated off the injured list.
He’ll start on Sunday against Triple-A Indianapolis and then either Saturday or Sunday of next week against Triple-A Toledo. Assuming Boyd suffers no setbacks in those two outings, his first start back with the Cubs could come in the three-game series against the Giants starting on June 12.
Chicago also received some good news on Steele. Although there is still no timetable set for his return, he has been cleared by Dr. Keith Meister to start the strengthening process. The left-hander is working his way back from a flexor strain that he suffered in his ramp-up from elbow surgery.
Steele is still months away from actually returning, but getting cleared to start strengthening is a positive first step. He will have to regain full arm strength before he can throw again. That likely won’t happen for a couple of weeks.
The Cubs remain hopeful that Steele will pitch this season. They are definitely leaving that door open and will continue to see how the southpaw progresses following this recent setback.
Then, there’s Wiggins, who has been sidelined since April 15 due to right elbow inflammation. The Cubs have been extremely cautious with their top pitching prospect and have not pushed him while he recovers from this arm injury.
The good news is that Wiggins is slowly progressing from this elbow issue. He has thrown a few bullpen sessions and will throw another one in the coming days. While the right-hander isn’t ready for game action yet, it is encouraging that he has been able to throw recently.
There’s no doubt that the health of all three of these pitchers is very important. Boyd has shown his consistency on the mound, Steele is one of the most underrated pitchers in the game when healthy, and Wiggins could be a late-season reinforcement.
The Cubs need all three pitchers to get healthy.
