Justin Steele

July 8, 2026

Approaching mound work

Steele (elbow) was cleared to begin ramping up his throwing program Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis

Steele began a throwing program in late June, and although he's started to increase the intensity of his throwing sessions, the Cubs will hold off on having him throw off a mound until the first week of August. The left-hander won't have enough time to build up and be available as a starter this year, but returning as a reliever late in the season isn't out of the question.