PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs remain hopeful left-hander Justin Steele will pitch for them before the end of the season.
Steele, though, still has a long way to go before he’s ready to return.
Steele received relatively good news Tuesday morning during his visit to Dr. Keith Meister, who performed his elbow surgery last April. The 30-year-old was shut down this April because of a left forearm strain that developed during his build-up process to return from the elbow surgery, just as he was on the verge of beginning his rehab assignment.
Steele will begin a strengthening program and then progress to plyo balls, but he remains weeks away from throwing a baseball, manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday at PNC Park. There is no timeline for Steele to rejoin the Cubs.
“We’re hopeful to get him back,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday. “Obviously, there comes a point which you run out of days, but I don’t think we’re there yet, and I know Justin wants to come back more than anything. … Our hope is that we can get him back by the end of the year and really help us.”
Initially, Steele was on track to be part of the Cubs’ rotation in early June when the new injury occurred. Typically when starting pitchers are shut down due to arm injuries, they need as many weeks as they have been down to build back up again through a throwing program. Depending on how many weeks Steele needs to progress through strengthening and plyo ball work, building up to a starter workload — catch play, multiple bullpens then a couple live batting practices and/or simulated games, then finally a rehab assignment — would have him potentially ready well past the post-All-Star break timeline initially given when the forearm strain popped up. That, of course, would also require no further setbacks.
The Cubs, though, aren’t willing to put any specific dates on a Steele return yet.
“We’re at the start of making progress in terms of moving forward,” Counsell said. “Until he starts throwing, it’s just hard to put that into an accurate timetable.”
Top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins is not progressing to next rehab phase
Pitcher Jaxon Wiggins throws in the bullpen area during spring training at Sloan Park on Tuesday Feb. 17, 2026 in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The challenges to the Cubs’ pitching depth have impacted the organization beyond the major-league level.
Top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins hasn’t started at Triple-A Iowa since April 4 due to right elbow inflammation. He is scheduled to throw another bullpen in the next day or two at the team’s complex in Mesa, Ariz. However, Hoyer said there is nothing beyond that to report.
“He’s working his way back, he’s doing a lot of work, he’s throwing bullpens, and obviously that’s a good sign,” Hoyer said of Wiggins. “But he hasn’t really ramped up to the game situations.”
Matthew Boyd to begin rehab assignment Sunday, Edward Cabrera is progressing
Left-hander Matthew Boyd (left meniscus surgery) is nearing a return to the rotation.
Boyd threw live batting practice on Tuesday at PNC Park, tossing about 52 pitches. Boyd told the Tribune he felt great and was pleased his velocity was back to normal. He will make a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Iowa, one of two expected outings before coming off the IL. It’s been a largely smooth rehab process since undergoing a meniscectomy on May 7 that was expected to sideline him 4 to 6 weeks.
Right-hander Edward Cabrera threw plyo balls Tuesday as he continues to let the blister on his right middle finger heal.
Counsell said “nothing’s changed” with Cabrera’s timeline to come off the 15-day IL after a minimum, or close to it, stint. He’s eligible to be activated June 5. Cabrera has dealt with blisters on that finger every year of his career, including the minimum time on the IL to start last season with the Miami Marlins.
“He’s not going to stop throwing, there’s really not going to be any stop for him,” Counsell said. “We’re just trying to limit the seams on the finger for a couple days, and then covering it a couple. He’s got ways to minimize picking at it, so to speak, with throwing.”