Justin Steele hasn’t thrown a single pitch in the major leagues this season for the Chicago Cubs.
An injury has kept him out, but he’s back pitching now, down in the minor leagues for Triple-A Iowa.
And that has raised an obvious question: Will the Cubs call up the All-Star left-handed pitcher?
Chicago spent pretty much this whole season in need of more arms, and although they took action at the trade deadline to help that, they could still use some help out of the bullpen.
It’s just not clear at this point if they plan on allowing Steele to be that help.
Justin Steele Update
Steele pitched quite well for Iowa on Friday across two innings. He’s not stretched out enough to be a starter, but he seems like his stuff is working effectively.
This was the update on his Friday performance:
Folks. Justin Steele just went 2 innings for Iowa allowed 0 hits 0 runs and struck out 5. Topped at 92 sat 89-91 (that’s not abnormal). I just don’t understand why the Cubs don’t give him a shot at this point but what do I know?
— Sam Olbur (@SamOlbur) September 18, 2026
Steele’s never been a guy with huge velocity, so those numbers probably aren’t that concerning.
He has a career 3.30 ERA at the MLB level, and the 31-year old veteran knows what it’s like to pitch in big games.
A Cubs Decision
The real aspect of this that is most intriguing is that, if the Cubs planned to bring Steele into the playoffs, you’d think they’d first want him to pitch at the MLB level for at least a few outings out of the bullpen.
Leaving him down at Iowa gives off the vibe that the Cubs aren’t sure they want to use Steele in the majors this season.
The MLB regular season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, so there’s very little time left.
For those wondering: Yes, Steele would be eligible for the postseason. The fact that he spent the season on the 60-day IL for the Cubs preserves his eligibility to pitch for that club in the playoffs if he is healthy.
Steele has made 11 career MLB appearances out of the bullpen, so it’s not entirely foreign, and now he’s getting to learn how to throw in a short outing again as he works his way back to health.
Steele is still under contract with the Cubs for one more season after this, so they also aren’t in a position where they’ll just be moving on no matter what. Maybe they’re focused on preserving his health for next year, but for now, it’ll be interesting to see if Steele can make it back to the majors or not in 2026.
Cubs’ Justin Steele Question Looms