The Cubs will be without their ace for a little while longer.
Chicago southpaw Justin Steele suffered a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, and has been shut down “for the time being.”
Steele, 30, was eligible to come off the injured list around Memorial Day, but that “could be in jeopardy,” per Rogers.
The left-hander went under the knife last April, undergoing a “revision repair,” which is a step below a full Tommy John surgery.
At the time, the Cubs had hoped he could return to the mound in a big league game in roughly a year.
The hitch extends the rehab process for a hurler who was one of the best in baseball just a couple of years ago.
In 2023, Steele made the NL All-Star team and finished fifth in the Cy Young race, finishing with a 3.06 ERA.
A year later, he posted a 3.07 ERA across 24 starts.
Before going down last April, Steele had a 3-1 record with a 4.76 ERA.
The injury news is the latest blow to a Cubs starting rotation that has dealt with its fair share of issues this season.
Earlier this month, right-hander Cade Horton underwent Tommy John surgery, taking him out for the remainder of the season.
The Cubs haven’t skipped a beat without Steele during the early going this season.
Heading into Tuesday’s play, Chicago is sitting at 17-12, 1.5 games back of the Reds for first place in the NL Central.
On Saturday, the Cubs saw a season-long 10-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the defending-champion Dodgers.
