Justin

Steele

The veteran right-hander has now made three starts for Triple-A Iowa, allowing two runs (one earned) on 15 hits in 16 1/3 innings while striking out 12 and walking six. Flexen has struggled the last two seasons in the big leagues, but with Justin Steele being lost for the season due to injury, Flexen could emerge as an option in the Cubs’ rotation in the near future.

It didn’t sound good when news broke that Steele was seeking a second opinion on Friday and now the unfortunate news hits that he’ll go under the knife and miss the rest of the season. It’s unclear if he’ll undergo the traditional Tommy John procedure or the internal brace procedure, so it’s tough to speculate on just how long he’ll be shelved for. It’s a very tough break for fantasy managers in redraft leagues who now need to cut bait with someone who was drafted to be a staple in their starting rotation.

Steele underwent an MRI exam on Thursday that showed more of the same — tendinitis in the same area that sidelined him for a couple of weeks down the stretch during the 2024 season. It sounds like someone is at least concerned that there could be something else at play though. While there’s no reason to hit the panic button just yet, it’s a situation that fantasy managers should continue to monitor.

After three shaky starts to open the year, Steele shined Monday in shutting out the Rangers for seven innings. Still, that outing came with his lowest velocity of the year, and it seems his elbow was bothering him at least then, if not before. The Cubs could pull Colin Rea out of the pen as his replacement, at least until Javier Assad is ready. Jordan Wicks is another option, but he’s not off to a great start in Triple-A. Connor Noland and veteran Chris Flexen are other possibilities.

Steele wasn’t overpowering by any means on Monday night, but temperatures in the mid-30’s at Wrigley Field helped limit an ice-cold Rangers’ lineup to just three hits and a pair of walks over seven frames. He threw 64 of 91 pitches for strikes and held Texas to just seven hard-hit batted balls with exit velocities over 95 mph. The 29-year-old southpaw remains locked in as a top-25 starting pitcher for fantasy purposes. He’ll face a tough test his next time out on Sunday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

A pair of homers would do all the damage on Steele. He surrendered a two-run blast by Brent Rooker to start the first inning. Shea Langeliers added a two-run shot in the third. The 29-year-old left-hander settled in nicely, pitching into the seventh and falling in line for the win. He struck out six. Steele lines up for a start against the Rangers in Chicago on Monday.

Steele allowed six hits — one of them a homer — and walked one against two strikeouts. He gets the win, but that’s more thanks to the Cubs’ offense than how well the southpaw pitched. Steele should be fine, but this spring — and this outing — have left a bit to be desired. He’ll get the A’s in Sacramento next.

Taillon finds himself sandwiched between Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, who will take the ball on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Nothing official regarding who will draw the starting assignment for Sunday’s series finale in Arizona, but we’re anticipating that nod going to either Matthew Boyd or Ben Brown. The other would presumably start Monday’s series opener against the Athletics in Sacramento, which would put them in line for a two-start week.

It was Shota Imanaga who got the start in the opener, but the Cubs will “re-open” the season with Steele on the bump. The left-hander has looked rough this spring and struggled against the Dodgers on Wednesday, but the 29-year-old is a solid bet to be a quality option in 2025 based on his track record. Jameson Taillon will start the second game, and Imanaga’s return is still to be determined.

Steele will be the answer to a trivia question no one asked, as he gave up the first homer of the season to Tommy Edman. He also gave up a two-run shot to Enrique Hernández, although it is worth pointing out that Hernández should have struck out on the pitch prior. Still counts, and Steele’s struggles over the spring carried over into his season debut. Fantasy managers who drafted Steele shouldn’t be too concerned, just a little disappointed that these stats count.