Justin Steele To Begin Rehab Assignment On Wednesday
Cubs will send former All-Star pitcher Justin Steele on a rehab assignment, targeting a high-stakes bullpen return to bolster Chicago's pitching staff down the stretch.
Video Transcript
What is up, Cubs fans?
And welcome back to Cubs Roundtable.
I'm Joey Polizzi talking about all things Cubs, and Justin Steele's return is near.
Justin Steele is set to go out on a rehab assignment on Wednesday, which is obviously a big step forward for Steele, who hasn't pitched in a Major League game all the way back since April of 2025.
He obviously underwent that internal brace procedure in April of 2025, and he was expected to make his season debut this year in late May/early June.
But a setback suffering a flexor strain has pushed back his timeline, and there was some question marks about whether Steele would actually be ready to pitch at some point this season.
Well, now it looks like Steele will be a potential pitching option for the Cubs later this season, as Steele is set to go out on a rehab assignment with the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday.
Big news for the Cubs.
Obviously looking good.
He pitched in a two-inning live batting practice earlier last week and then pitched a Bridge Sim game over the weekend.
Obviously came out of those two outings very good, which is why he's set to go on a rehab assignment on Wednesday.
And with Steele, he's expected to be part of the Cubs' bullpen down the stretch.
How he looks early on in his rehab assignment, how he looks throughout all of his rehab assignment will be telling on if Steele will actually be a part of this potential playoff roster.
But obviously a good sign to get Steele back and healthy.
This has been one of the most consistent pitchers the Cubs have had over the last few years, and the Cubs have definitely missed him in the rotation.
He won't be in the rotation down the stretch this year, but he could be a reliable bullpen arm.
When the Cubs first brought up Steele, Steele was actually in the bullpen.
Had a 2.04 ERA across 11 relief appearances back in 2021, so Steele does have the experience in the big leagues pitching out of the bullpen, but we'll see.
This is obviously a big first step.
The Cubs are gonna be extremely cautious with Steele over the next few weeks to see how he is, and they're gonna make sure he's fully healthy before bringing him back to the big league roster.
But let me know what you guys think about this.
Are you excited to see Steele back on the mound?
Let me know down below.
And as always, guys, go Cubs go.
