MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago CubsMar 19, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (35) delievers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs: Justin Steele delivers great news on rehab

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Alex Patt | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 5:25 PM ET

Cubs fans got a nice bit of good news Saturday when Justin Steele gave an important update on his UCL reconstruction surgery rehab via Twitter(X).

https://x.com/twitter/status/2027805243312935266

While Steele will not be ready to pitch on Opening Day, receiving official clearance to start full throwing activities from his surgeon is a monumental step toward his return. Come mid-April, it will mark a year since Steele was lost for the 2025 season with the UCL injury. It will still take some work for him to ramp up to get ready to pitch in an MLB game again. If all goes well, he can hopefully return sooner rather than later. Things were already pointing in a good direction prior to his clearence.

Important note: Steele is not currently on the 60-day IL; he was taken off it in November after the World Series. They could have re-added him to it this Spring but they have not to this point. It’s also worth noting the Cubs DFA’ed Ben Cowles when they added Shelby Miller to the roster and kept Steele off the 60-day IL and on the 40-man. Steele not going to the 60-day IL is important because it means there isn’t the required two-month time to be out before coming back if he indeed stays off it.

What’s next for Steele?

Expect Steele to first face live hitters in camp soon. He will not be thrust into Cactus League play right now. Assuming all continues to go well, he can work in extended Spring Training and then, once the season starts, probably get in some in-game work in the Minors before coming up. His progress at each step will dictate the exact timeline for everything.

The biggest priority is doing his rehab right and his returning when he is 100% ready. They have a set rotation in place even without him. Nevertheless, while the team’s pitching staff is deep, having Steele back will be a big boost. Depending on what Craig Counsell does, they could have three lefties in the rotation with Steele, Matthew Boyd, and Shota Imanaga if they go with a six-man rotation with Jameson Taillon and Cade Horton as the righties. Assuming everyone is healthy at the same time, obviously.

Knock on wood, hopefully things continue to progress as they have. Steele’s rehab, by all accounts, has gone very smoothly up to this point. While it was not a full Tommy John surgery, having UCL surgery and potentially back pitching in ~12-13 months would be good to see. Steele mentioned that this surgery was different from his UCL reconstruction back in 2017 in that it was less challenging.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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