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Steele (elbow) was cleared to begin ramping up his throwing program Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Steele began a throwing program in late June, and although he's started to increase the intensity of his throwing sessions, the Cubs will hold off on having him throw off a mound until the first week of August. The left-hander won't have enough time to build up and be available as a starter this year, but returning as a reliever late in the season isn't out of the question.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Focusing on 2027 season
Rotowire
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday in a radio appearance that he doesn't expect Steele (elbow) to rejoin the major-league rotation this season, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Steele underwent UCL revision surgery last May and then encountered a setback in late April, when he was diagnosed with a flexor strain. The lefty resumed a throwing program Monday, and while Hoyer didn't rule Steele out as a bullpen option for the Cubs later this season, he's not expected to be a candidate for the rotation in 2026. Instead, Steele will be brought along slowly as the Cubs prepare him to be healthy heading into the 2027 campaign.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Resumes throwing program
Rotowire
Steele (elbow) resumed a throwing program Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Steele underwent UCL revision surgery last May and then had a setback in late April when he was diagnosed with a flexor strain. The left-hander will be ramped back up slowly, and while the Cubs hope Steele can contribute at some point after the All-Star break, there is no target date for his return.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Continuing to make progress
Rotowire
Steele (elbow) will throw plyo balls for the next week and then progress to throwing a baseball, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The club has already ruled Steele out through the All-Star break, but he's moving in the right direction. Montemurro notes that he'll be around the team for the next three weeks while continuing his rehab, and he could resume throwing a baseball as early as next Monday, which would be the first step in building up his throwing progression. The Cubs have yet to provide a firm timetable for Steele's return.
Steele (elbow) suffered a setback in his rehab program and was shut down from throwing Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The specifics of the setback aren't yet clear, but any shutdown of more than a few days would likely remove any hope for a return from the 60-day injured list in late May when Steele is first eligible. The left-hander is working his way back from the UCL revision surgery he underwent last April, and his return timeline is now murky.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Out through All-Star break
Rotowire
Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Steele's (elbow) setback will keep him sidelined until after the All-Star break, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The Cubs were originally anticipating an early-June return for Steele, but after suffering a setback in his rehab program Tuesday, the 30-year-old southpaw will now have another month-plus added to his time on the IL. A more precise timeline for his return may begin to emerge whenever he is cleared to resume throwing.
The Cubs placed Steele (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Steele is progressing as anticipated after undergoing UCL revision surgery back on April 18, 2025, but he'll still need at least the first two months of the 2026 season to complete the lengthy recovery process. The southpaw checked off a major box in his rehab program by facing live hitters in batting practice sessions just under two weeks ago. He'll likely continue to gradually increase the volume and intensity of his pitching in live BP sessions and simulated games over at least the next few weeks before eventually embarking on an extended minor-league rehab assignment.
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