LOS ANGELES — Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to fix lingering issues with his left elbow and forearm, manager Craig Counsell announced Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
This course of action removes an All-Star left-hander from the top of the rotation at a time when the Cubs are off to a fast start and feeling pressure to make the playoffs this year for the first time since the shortened 2020 season in which 16 teams made the field.
Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his left elbow, Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced today at Dodger Stadium.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) April 13, 2025
Counsell said it’s unclear whether this will be a second Tommy John surgery for Steele, 29, who underwent that procedure as a minor-league prospect in 2017.
This surgery, scheduled for Friday, will repair Steele’s flexor tendon and address his ulnar collateral ligament.
The Cubs do not have a way to immediately and seamlessly replace Steele, who finished fifth in the 2023 National League Cy Young Award voting.
But the organization is confident in its pitching depth, which includes Colin Rea sliding into the rotation for now and Javier Assad (oblique) making progress in his minor-league rehab assignment.
The July 31 trade deadline will also be a big opportunity for the Cubs to upgrade their rotation and improve their chances in October.
(Photo: Norm Hall / Getty Images)