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Jesse Rogers
Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery on his left elbow, manager Craig Counsell told reporters Sunday.
Steele, 29, was placed on the injured list last week after feeling discomfort in his elbow following his last start. He threw seven shutout innings against the Texas Rangers on Monday but still felt pain after arriving at the stadium the next day for treatment.
He was 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in four starts before going down.
Steele has had a history of minor elbow problems over the past couple of seasons, spending time on the injured list in each of them, including late last year before returning for two September outings. He started the second game of the season for the Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan last month.
Overall, Steele is 32-22 with a 3.30 ERA in 91 career starts, all with the Cubs.
The injury opens a huge hole in the team’s rotation. Long reliever Colin Rea will take Steele’s place in the rotation on Sunday night, when the Cubs face the Dodgers. The team has several other in-house candidates who could get a look, including lefty Jordan Wicks and righty Cade Horton.
Horton is one of the Cubs’ top prospects but is still working back from an injury that kept him out of action last year. The team could also look to a possible trade, as Miami Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara is likely to be on the market this summer.
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