Amid offseason rumors and speculations, Cubs fans got some good news on Monday afternoon. 

Left-handed pitcher Justin Steele posted a video on X of himself throwing. Steele was seen throwing a baseball on flat ground with the caption “Like riding a [bike], first day of throwing a baseball.”

This marked Steele’s first time throwing since he underwent surgery on his torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in April. Although most pitchers opt for Tommy John surgery with an injury like this, the southpaw instead got an internal brace procedure done.

The timeline to return from the internal brace procedure isn’t as long as Tommy John surgery, but most pitchers still miss close to one year with this type of surgery. The good news, though, is that Steele appears to be trending in the right direction. 

“In 2017, when I had my first Tommy John [surgery], they pulled the ligament out of my forearm and used that — so that was my new UCL,” Steele told Marquee Sports Network ahead of Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers. “I remember relearning how to throw with the new hardware that was in my arm. That was the hardest part — the mental hurdle I had the first time.

“(This time), it’s the same hardware, and it feels the same as five months ago, when I was throwing against the Rangers. So there really hasn’t been a mental hurdle. It’s just been putting my nose down and just doing the work every day.”

The 30-year-old started throwing plyometric balls in early October, which are weighted balls that help pitchers improve their arm strength. Now, it appears that Steele has progressed to playing catch. 

Seeing Steele playing catch and throwing a baseball for the first time since his injury is a big step forward for him. He has been working hard to get back and will likely do everything he can to be ready to go for Opening Day. 

Having him back in the rotation will be a massive boost for this Cubs team. Considering he was out for most of the 2025 season, fans might have forgotten just how good Steele is when he’s healthy. 

In his 2023 All-Star campaign, the left-hander finished with a 16-5 record, a 3.06 ERA, and 176 strikeouts across 173 ⅓ innings pitched. Then, Steele had a 3.07 ERA and 135 strikeouts across 24 starts in 2024. 

That’s how good Steele is when he’s on the mound. He has finished with a sub-3.10 ERA in each of his last two full seasons and even has a top-5 National League Cy Young finish to his resume. So, his return next season will make Chicago's rotation even more dangerous. 

While there has been no timeline set on when Steele could return next season, he should be ready to go at some point in the first half.