Cubs Receive Worst Possible News On Justin Steele

It is looking like a lost year for Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele.

Steele started the season on the 60-day injured list while recovering from elbow surgery he had during the early portion of the 2025 season. The expectation, though, was that the southpaw would be ready to return in late May/early June. 

Then, Steele had a setback in his build-up, suffering a flexor strain in his left forearm. He spent multiple weeks shut down from throwing and needed to fully build up again once he was fully cleared to throw. 

Although the southpaw officially started his throwing program on Monday, the Cubs don’t expect Steele to start any games for them in 2026. 

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer went on 104.3 The Score with Mully and Haugh on Tuesday morning to break that news. There is still an unclear timeline on when Steele can actually return, but Hoyer has already ruled him out of starting games in 2026.  

“It’s probably unrealistic to think he’s going to be fully stretched out at any point,” Hoyer told Mully and Haugh. “If he does help us, I think it’s going to be in shorter bursts.”

It was always going to be tough for Steele to start games this season once he suffered the flexor strain in late April. This injury was going to keep him out of throwing for multiple months, and it would take another few months for him to build back up once the strain fully healed. 

There is just not enough time left in the season for Steele to be fully stretched out and contribute as a starter. The Cubs are also not going to push the left-hander as he’s coming off a significant elbow injury last year and a flexor strain this season. 

Hoyer did mention that Steele could contribute in the bullpen later in the season. The North Siders could use him for an inning or two out of the bullpen and get him some innings that way down the stretch. 

However, that likely won’t come until September. 

Steele not starting any games for the Cubs this season does hurt. He has been one of the team’s most consistent starters since entering the league (3.30 career ERA), and Chicago was hoping to get him back at some point in 2026. 

While there’s still a chance he could return as a reliever in the final month, the Cubs could just decide to keep him out through the 2026 season and get him right for the 2027 campaign.