Steele (9-3) allowed six runs on 10 hits across six innings to take the loss Sunday against the Red Sox. He had one walk and six strikeouts.
The primary damage came from two Boston home runs, including a Masataka Yoshida grand slam in the fifth inning. Steele has now allowed nine earned runs in his last two starts after allowing just three total runs in his previous four starts. The lefty is up to 97.1 innings this season following a career-high 119 innings last year. It's possible that fatigue becomes a factor for Steele, so the Cubs may decide to skip his turn in the rotation at some point or otherwise limit his workload. He's currently slated to start again Friday against the Cardinals.