Cubs put Justin Steele on 15-day IL with left elbow tendinitis
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele only seemed to dial in more as his dominant start Monday against the Rangers went on. But in the fourth or fifth inning, he revealed Wednesday, he felt his arm begin to tighten up.
“I was wanting to continue to pitch,” Steele said. “Felt good, felt like I was executing pitches and stuff, so I wanted to keep going.”
The Cubs put Justin Steele on the 15-day IL Wednesday with what they called left elbow tendinitis. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, manager Craig Counsell said.
“We're going to take the conservative route here,” Counsell said. “He had symptoms of an injury that he experienced last year, and for that reason, rather than having him focus on his next start, think it's just best that we back off that and make sure he recovers in a really good place. We're hoping it's the minimum and he can be ready to go in a couple weeks.”
Steele missed about two and a half weeks last September for elbow tendinitis injury.
“I would say it's a similar feeling,” Steele said.
The cold made it difficult to diagnose in the moment Monday how much of what Steele was feeling, or his slight drop in velocity, could be attributed to the weather versus a physical issue. It was 34 degrees at first pitch.
He talked through what he was feeling with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and manager Craig Counsell.
“I'd say everybody's velo was a little bit down that day, just in general, over this series,” Steele said.
Steeele wanted to be extra diligent in his recovery program the next day and reported still feeling a little sore and tight.
“I was coming into the day prepared to make my next start and stuff,” Steele said, “but they made the decision to put me on the IL.”
In a corresponding move, the Cubs recalled reliever Ethan Roberts from Triple-A Iowa. The team has not yet announced how it will cover Steele’s next start, with Counsell calling their plan "tentative."
“We're in a position to just keep everybody kind of on good rest,” Counsell said. “And so I don't think we need to push anybody right now. And I think that's how we'll think about it.”
Counsell has traditionally tried to avoid having his starters pitch on a five-day schedule twice in a row, breaking up those stints with an extra day of rest. In order to maintain that pattern, the Cubs would need a bullpen day or spot start next Sunday in Los Angeles or Monday in San Diego.
While left-hander Jordan Wicks is stretched out as a starter in Triple-A, the Cubs also have veteran right-hander Colin Rea already on the active roster as an option for length. Rea pitched two and three innings in his most recent relief appearances.
The Cubs do have four off days in the span of three weeks, which gives them options in filling in for Steele and will help ease the burden on the pitching staff.
“Just attack today's game,” Counsell said before the series finale against the Rangers Wednesday, “and then we'll certainly start having to get the plans more solid.”