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Why everything has been clicking for the Cubs | Chicago Sports Tonight
ESPN's Jesse Rogers joined Tina Nguyen on CST from Wrigley Field. Jesse tells Tina why the Cubs have been red hot as of late, how impressive Cubs starters have been stepping up, Shota Imanaga returning to form and how Nico Hoerner has been a man on a mission this season.
The Chicago Cubs were hoping to get one of their starting pitchers back from elbow surgery in May to aid an injured rotation.
That return is now in doubt, according to the Cubs manager.
What they're saying:
On 104.3 The Score, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele suffered a flexor strain in his recovery. Counsell also said Steele will be re-evaluated in a month.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers first reported the setback and that Steele had been shut down. ESPN and Marquee Network MLB analyst Rick Sutcliffe reported it on-air during the Waddle and Silvy show on ESPN 1000, too.
"It's a setback, there's no question about it," Counsell said on The Score. "It's going to lengthen his return to play."
Steele was recovering from elbow surgery on his UCL that he underwent over a year ago on April 18. It was assumed he'd be eligible to come off the injured list in May.
Steele had continued his ramp-up in hopes of returning from surgery before the summer months. He threw live bullpen sessions in early April as Spring Training was coming to a close.
What we know:
Steele is a part of the Cubs' organization that represents the potential of what the team can do in its development. Joining the major leagues in 2021, Steele eventually became a full-time starter in 2022. He emerged in 2023 as an All-Star after winning 15 games, posting a 3.06 ERA and finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young voting.
The Cubs were hoping to bring Steele back into the fold and make the depth of their starting rotation one of the team's strengths, especially after the rotation was so limited in the 2025 playoffs.
The Cubs began the 2026 season with Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon in the rotation. Steele was expected to rejoin the roster and bolster the depth of the rotation.
That rotation thinned quickly when Horton underwent UCL surgery of his own and will miss the rest of the 2026 season and some of the 2027 season. Boyd went on the injured list in April and missed two weeks.
Despite all this, the Cubs still went on a 10-game winning streak. The talent of the roster is there, but starting pitching will remain a question mark as the Cubs prepare for a series against every NL Central team in the month of May.