Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele had his 2025 MLB season cut short because of an elbow injury suffered against the Texas Rangers on April 7. Because of it, Steele will undergo surgery on Friday, April 18, to repair the injury.
It will be interesting to see if Steele will be ready to pitch at some point for Chicago during the 2026 MLB season. He sent a message to his fans before his surgery took place on Friday.
Cubs Pitcher Justin Steele Talks About Surgery on X
Before Steele underwent surgery on Friday, he sent a message to his fanbase on X: “Surgery today. Just wanted to take some time to say thank you to everyone who has sent their thoughts and prayers,” Steele said.
“Truly means the world to me at the number of people who have reached out to my family and me. It’s appreciated beyond belief. I’ll be back soon and better than ever.”
Surgery today. Just wanted to take some time to say thank you to everyone who has sent their thoughts and prayers. Truly means the world to me at the number of people who have reached out to my family and me. It’s appreciated beyond belief. I’ll be back soon and better than ever.
— Justin Steele (@J_Steele21) April 18, 2025
Steele pitched in four games for the Cubs during the 2025 MLB season before having his season cut short due to the injury. He had a 3-1 record with a 4.76 ERA. In 22.2 innings pitched, he gave up 21 hits and 12 runs, walked five batters, and struck out 21. His WHIP was 1.15.
With Steele out for the season, it remains to be seen if they will make a trade for a starting pitcher before the 2025 MLB trade deadline. One name to watch for is Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcántara, and another to watch later in the season is Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo López, as he is currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
READ MORE: Steele’s Injury to Push Front Office Into Aggressive Moves Amid Job Concerns
Steele, 29, is under contract with the Cubs through the 2027 MLB season and hopes to be ready by Opening Day 2026. Chicago’s remaining rotation includes Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Ben Brown. The Cubs will likely need to add another dependable arm before season’s end.
For now, Chicago is in first place in the NL Central with a 12-9 record. However, the starting pitching at some point could be a reason why the Cubs’ season derails despite the hot start. The Milwaukee Brewers (10-9) are only one game back of the Cubs for the division lead. Not having Steele in the rotation for the remainder of the 2025 MLB season will be a big void for this team to fill.
Manager Craig Counsell and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer understand that replacing Steele will not be easy. Steele hopes to be back better than ever next season, but the Cubs’ plan now is to find pitching help, and they haven’t made the playoffs since 2020. They hope to get to the playoffs in 2025 without him.
