The Chicago Cubs have been without Justin Steele all season, and even though there isn't time to get him back as a starter, he is working to return as a reliever.
The Cubs bullpen has been a disaster as of late, and it seems like every time Craig Counsell pulls the starter, the Cubs are doomed. It's not just in close games or certain situations. Lately, every time a reliever comes out of the bullpen, he has not performed well.
The Cubs' bullpen has a 3.97 ERA this season, and a 4.50 ERA this month. In September, the Cubs' bullpen ranks 19th in baseball. Can Steele fix that?
Well, adding Steele will certainly help, but he is coming off left elbow surgery and a flexor strain. He has not pitched in a big-league game since April 7, 2025, and is currently on a rehab assignment. In two rehab games, he has pitched a total of 3 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. He threw 27 pitches in his last outing, and his fastball is sitting at around 91 mph.
The velocity is about what it was before he got injured, so that's a good sign. However, the Cubs will want him to get some experience coming out of the bullpen, something he has not done since 2021. On Thursday, he is scheduled to come out of the bullpen for Triple-A Iowa.
The best-case scenario for the Cubs is that Steele looks great for them when he's back and can slot in as a closer. Jacob Webb has struggled as of late, and Daniel Palencia is nowhere near where he was last year. If Steele can fill the void at closer, it could be a huge asset for the Cubs. It would be even better if he could get multi-inning saves for the Cubs.
One arm is not going to fix all of the Cubs' problems, but an All-Star like Steele is not going to make the bullpen worse.