Report: Cubs’ Justin Steele to undergo elbow surgery, done for the season

CHICAGO (WGN) — The Chicago Cubs were dealt a heavy blow on the injury front Sunday evening. All-Star starting pitcher Justin Steele is done for the season, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee reported Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced Steele is scheduled to undergo left forearm and elbow surgery to repair his flexor tendon and address his UCL.

It remains unclear if the procedure will be Tommy John or a reconstructive surgery, but either of the two will hold Steele out for the remainder of the year.

The Cubs placed Steele on the 15-day injured list Friday with what they called left-elbow tendinitis at the time.

Prior to being placed on the IL, Steele was coming off his best start of the season. Last Monday, he threw seven shutout innings with three hits, two walks and eight strikeouts against the Texas Rangers.

Steele missed two weeks last season with a similar injury and a year prior in June 2023, he missed time with a left elbow injury.

Steele is two years removed from an All-Star campaign on the North Side. In 2023, he went 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts. Steele also finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting that season.

The Cubs take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at 6 p.m. CT Sunday. Colin Rea takes the mound for Chicago, while Tyler Glasnow will toe the rubber for Los Angeles.