Justin Steele pitched in a game for the first time since April 2025 on Wednesday night for the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A. The left-handed starter began his rehab assignment in what’s been a longer journey back than he or the Cubs had expected. A setback in April is pushing Steele up against the clock to make a return to the big leagues in 2026, but at the very least, he took an important first step in his comeback effort.
Steele threw 36 pitches in 1.2 innings. He gave up four hits and was charged with an earned run while striking out two batters. The results do not ultimately matter, as the most important factor is how Steele feels the day after. It’ll be a slow process, one that might frustrate Cubs fans who have watched the pitching staff struggle over the past month. However, as Jed Hoyer explained earlier this week, the organization’s top priority for Steele is his long-term health.
Although Hoyer did temper expectations for a Steele return in 2026, it’s also not like he shut the door on Steele coming back and making an impact for the Cubs.
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As for Justin Steele, who is expected to pitch for Iowa tonight, Hoyer talked about the excitement in seeing him get back into competitive games for the first time since April of last year. But as it relates to the big league team, I took from his comments that they can’t be doing anything developmental or rehab-like or whatever. If Steele is in a place where he can come up and help the big league team, he will. If not, then it’s just going to be about him getting to a good place before the offseason. How it actually plays out, Hoyer said he’s open-minded.
There are four weeks left in the regular season. We’ll see how the Cubs handle Steele’s pitch count, but at this point, they have been upfront about saying they are not trying to build him up as a starting pitcher. However, seeing that Steele pitched into the second inning and threw 36 pitches, you could envision him as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen if the Cubs feel he can be a positive contributor later this month and hopefully into October.
Prior to Wednesday night’s appearance with Iowa, Steele last pitched for the Cubs on April 7, 2025.
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For a little bit, it seemed like the chances of Justin Steele coming back to pitch for the Chicago Cubs in 2026 were uncomfortably low. The left-handed pitcher was initially scheduled to return by the end of May or early June, but a setback in April suddenly put Steele’s comeback from elbow surgery in jeopardy. There was nothing he or the Cubs could do but wait and hope there were no further setbacks, and now fans get to see Steele pitch at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday.
Marquee Sports Network reporter Taylor McGregor confirmed on Monday night during the Cubs’ series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers that Steele will officially begin his rehab assignment on Wednesday.
Steele was working his way back from a revision repair in his left UCL, a procedure that he had in April 2025, when he suffered a flexor strain this past April. The Cubs immediately shut him down, and there wasn’t much of an update other than Steele being out until at least after the All-Star break.
Jed Hoyer did lower fans’ expectations in late June, saying that there probably would not be enough time for Steele to build up to pitch starter innings in 2026. The Cubs have suffered several injuries to their starters this year, and the Steele setback in April likely made the front office more aggressive at the trade deadline, as Hoyer completed two deals to boost the rotation.
The Cubs will surely be cautious with Steele, who has been throwing live BP in Arizona, but he last pitched in a game on April 7, 2025. It’s going to be nearly an 18-month layoff for Steele, but the Cubs are obviously hoping that he can return and contribute out of the bullpen heading into the postseason.
Steele’s last healthy season came in 2024, when he had a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts. The 31-year-old, who was drafted by the Cubs in 2014, has not had the chance to pitch in the playoffs in his career, so it would be great to see Steele out there in October. So, we’ll see how Steele responds after his appearances with the Iowa Cubs, as that will determine whether he’ll come back this year.
