Justin Steele
The Chicago Cubs strengthened their squad during the summer in an attempt to guarantee that they would win the National League Central this year, but they were so close to winning that a problem emerged on Opening Day.
On March 28, starting pitcher Justin Steele departed his start early in the fifth inning after racing off the mound to field a bunt and collapsing to the ground holding his left leg. Cubs manager Craig Counsell informed media, including Marquee Sports Network, that Steele sustained a hamstring strain, will receive an MRI, and is probably going to be placed on the injured list following the game, which Chicago lost to the Texas Rangers in extra innings.
“It’s unfortunate,” Counsell expressed to the press. “He’s pitching incredibly well,” Undoubtedly a valuable team member, and it appears that we will be without him for a short while. It hurts a little more on the first day of the season, but this is a part of our season and it tests us right away.
In 2023, Steele recorded his best-ever record of 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA, earning him a spot on the All-Star team for the first time. In the vote for the NL Cy Young, he came in fifth.
The Injury to Justin Steele
Even though the 2024 season is just two days old, Steele has already suffered one injury this year.
On March 22, Steele left a spring training game in the second inning after a bouncing comebacker hit him in the left leg. Despite having to leave the game early due to a knee contusion, Steele’s Opening Day pitching schedule was pleasantly unaffected. After the start, Steele told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com that his bruise was “a little bruised up, but nothing to worry about, really.”
Steele’s hamstring strain forced him out of his Opening Day start less than a week after his spring training ailment. Josh Frydman of WGN TV News reports that after the game, Ace told reporters that his “spirits are high.” The Cubs have not officially confirmed the extent of the injury or the length of time Steele is expected to be out with it.
Steele on the hamstring injury and how he’s feeling. He said spirits are high and he’ll be okay, but obviously bummed he had to leave his first career start this way. #Cubs @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/BSgGPEh8QU
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) March 29, 2024
Cubs’ Opening Rotation Depends on Steele’s Comeback
The Cubs lost ace Marcus Stroman to free agency at the conclusion of 2023. Although the team’s recently signed Japanese pitcher Shōta Imanaga was a great signing to replace him, the rotation is still one of the team’s weakest spots. Steele is the only true ace on the squad, and the Cubs lack a reliable No. 2 to back him up, despite their best efforts during the winter.
Counsell explained that he will start six pitchers in the rotation this season because Imanaga will require time to adjust to a five-day pitching cycle, as The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reported. Although right-hander Jameson Taillon is on the 15-day injured list to begin the season after failing to pitch during spring training due to a back issue, and while Kyle Hendricks is pitching well following shoulder surgery in 2022, he isn’t quite the dominant arm he was a few seasons ago.
Only Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad remain. Both had to compete for a spot in the starting lineup during spring training, and they want to establish themselves as dependable starters this year.
With very little success, the Cubs tried to strengthen their rotation throughout the winter. The Los Angeles Dodgers were linked to ace Blake Snell, who finally signed with the San Francisco Giants, and Jordan Montgomery, who recently joined the Arizona Diamondbacks, after missing out on both free agent phenom Shohei Ohtani and Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Cubs were only able to acquire Imanaga as a starting pitcher over the offseason because none of the linkages resulted in a deal.
Dayn Perry of CBS Sports speculated on March 28 that the Cubs and the Cleveland Guardians may deal for two-time All-Star Shane Bieber. However, Chicago’s rotation is locked at this point because it seems improbable that the Guardians will even make Bieber available before the trade deadline. The Cubs had a limited rotation even before Steele was hurt, so the 28-year-old’s return will be crucial to the team’s success this season.
Granted, Taillon might make a successful recovery from the IL and have the breakout season the Cubs have been waiting for, and Imanaga might settle in quickly to a five-man rotation. The severity of Steele’s injury is still uncertain, so maybe in the early weeks of the season, Chicago’s rotation will gel and their IL problems will be solved.
Nonetheless, it’s simple to argue that the Cubs might have maintained rotation depth during what they’re positioning as a contender year by being far more proactive in the summer. If their offseason choices come back to bite them, only time will tell.
