MESA, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele has cleared the final medical step in his return from last year’s season-ending elbow surgery.
Steele received the all-clear to fully return to baseball activities on Saturday from his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, during his last checkup as part of the rehab process. Steele had already been throwing bullpens the last few weeks, but was restricted from throwing his curveball. He will start incorporating that pitch into his mound work and progress toward pitching in live batting practice, the next step in building up.
“When you’re in the rehab process, you’re just kind of stuck in the monotony of rehab, and you kind of learn to take things day by day,” Steele said Sunday. “And then when you kind of get to that light at the end of the tunnel, your last doctor’s visit, it’s just kind of like a breath of fresh air, you feel like a baseball player again. So it was just a really good day of knowing I don’t have to go back to the doctor anymore, no checkups, anything like that. I can continue baseball activities like a normal pitcher, normal baseball player.
“Going through a process like this rehab that can be kind of long, you’ve got to celebrate the milestones — a process that can kind of be mundane and not very exciting, I feel like you need to celebrate those wins.”
Steele’s good news doesn’t alter the 30-year-old’s timetable to return to the Cubs’ rotation. He remains on track to rejoin the team in mid-May or June. Steele will be on an innings limit this year, and with the Cubs envisioning a deep playoff run in October, he wants to make sure he is available for the most important games of the season.
“I would say, keep that in mind as we’re talking and thinking about this,” Steele said of when he might return in the regular season. “The depth that we have is a very good thing going into season, having the amount of starting pitchers that we can roll out there at any given time.
“Those outings in October and November mean a lot more. So I think it’s really important that I’m hitting my stride at that point, like, that’s when I’m at my best because that’s what’s gonna help the team the most.”
Justin Steele throws a football during the first day of the Chicago Cubs full-squad workout at spring training at Sloan Park on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The Cubs have not made a decision yet on whether Steele will be put on the 60-day injured list to start the season. The team hasn’t had any conversations about that scenario, given the Cubs are still 3 1/2 weeks away from opening day. Steele still needs to clear multiple steps before the Cubs have a better, more narrow time frame for when he would be ready to pitch in the majors. Those necessary steps include throwing curveballs without issue in bullpens, facing batters for the first time in live BP, sim games and eventually game action on a rehab assignment.
“Everything is going well, everything is going just the way we want it to go,” manager Craig Counsell said Sunday. “Just continue taking next steps and stacking good days, which when you’re in the rehab process is easy to say and hard to do, and Justin’s done an amazing job of doing that. That’s why he’s in a good spot.”
Counsell said the Cubs knew Steele would want to make sure he’s available to pitch in the postseason, noting it’s all part of the timing equation.
“We’re on the same page there, and we’ll just keep communicating,” Counsell said. “As you’re going through this, the one thing when you’re on rehab is you never want to slow down because you want to earn every step and make progress and I think that’s a really important part.”