Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery and will be shut down for a month. Manager Craig Counsell announced the news, stating Steele will be re-evaluated in about 30 days. The injury adds to the Cubs' ongoing pitching woes.
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele, who underwent Tommy John surgery last April, encountered a setback during his rehab process. He has been shut down and faces re-evaluation in a month, according to manager Craig Counsell via The Athletic. This development occurred on Tuesday amid Chicago's challenging season for its pitching staff. The grind of rehabilitation can lead to such issues, Counsell noted. > This is a place that's hard because there's not much you can say to make a person feel better in this situation. The grind of a rehab, unfortunately, can do this to you. You don't have a choice but to kind of take it in and try to go have a good day tomorrow. Today was obviously not a good day for Justin. But I think that's the attitude he's going to take. It's your only choice, really, in this thing. Steele's timeline now pushes his potential return beyond the All-Star break, possibly into August, even with a positive re-evaluation. He would need time to rebuild arm strength and complete a minor-league rehab assignment. The Cubs have been hit hard by injuries, including losing prospect Cade Horton for the season earlier this month. Eight other pitchers remain on the injured list, such as relievers Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey and Caleb Thielbar. Top prospect Jaxon Wiggins is also sidelined in Triple-A. Chicago's current rotation features Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon and Colin Rea, with Javier Assad as the sixth option. Despite the injuries, the Cubs sit at 17-12, second in the NL Central, after a 10-game win streak followed by three straight losses.