Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele transitioning to bullpen with Iowa
· Yahoo Sports
As Justin Steele and the Chicago Cubs looked at how much time was left in the season and how much further the lefty had to go in his rehab, they came to the realization that starting was no longer an option for this season. If Steele was going to help the Cubs in the big leagues this season, it was going to have to come out of the bullpen.
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“We just didn’t have enough time to get built up to start,” Steele said in an interview with the Des Moines Register on Sept. 10.
The Chicago Cubs ace allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in two innings out of the bullpen against Toledo in a rehabilitation assignment outing with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on Sept. 10.
“I feel good,” Steele said afterward. “Not giving up too hard of contact. I’d like my velo to be a little bit better but it’s part of the process.”
The process has been a long one for Steele, an All-Star for the Cubs in 2023. The southpaw, who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2025, underwent Tommy John surgery and was originally slated to return to the mound sometime at the midway point of 2026.
But Steele suffered a setback with a forearm flexor strain that pushed back his return. He didn’t make his first rehab start with Iowa until Sept. 2 when he allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in 1.2 innings of work.
During his second start on Sept. 6, Steele surrendered one run on two hits in two innings. Even with the progress he made, the Cubs felt that if he was going to help down the stretch at the end of the season, it would have to come in relief, something Steele hasn't done in the majors since 2021.
“It’s been a while,” Steele said. “It’s definitely different. I mean, it’s not too big of an adjustment. At the end of the day, you’re still going out there and you’ve got to throw the ball over the plate and compete. There’s a few minor adjustments you’ve got to make and whatnot but nothing too extreme.”
Steele showed flashes of what he’s capable of on Thursday, generating six whiffs in his two innings of work that spanned 31 pitches including 21 strikes. He topped out at 90 miles per hour, a number he’d like to see improve. Steele also gave up an RBI triple and an RBI single past a drawn-in infield.
The velocity concerned him the most. So, his time with Iowa may not be quite over.
“I would say I need to be throwing a little bit harder,” Steele said. “I feel like I’m commanding the ball well. I feel like I’m moving the ball around. I have command for the most part of all my pitches. I just feel like my velo needs to be a tick higher.”
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele transitioning to bullpen with Iowa