CHICAGO — The wait might finally be nearing its end. After nearly a year in the shadows, Justin Steele — the Chicago Cubs’ left-handed ace who once anchored the rotation with quiet fire — is gearing up for his long-awaited return. But as hope flickers through Wrigleyville, one question hangs heavy in the October air: is faith enough to rebuild a contender?
Steele, who underwent major elbow surgery back in April, missed the entirety of the 2025 season — a brutal blow to a Cubs team that stumbled through a fragile rotation and a disappointing NLDS loss to the Brewers. For months, his comeback was wrapped in silence. Now, reports confirm he’ll begin throwing again before the end of this month — a small, precious sign that the storm may be clearing.
“He’s been focused, meticulous, and patient. But nobody’s putting dates on the calendar,” a team source told FanRecap, emphasizing the uncertainty that still surrounds Steele’s recovery.
If all goes right — and that’s always the dangerous part of this story — the 30-year-old southpaw could return by early 2026. But Opening Day? That might be a dream too soon. The Cubs’ medical and coaching staff know the truth all too well: post-surgery arms are unpredictable, and no one walks back onto the mound the same way they left it.
Even in the best-case scenario, Steele’s return will come with growing pains — command issues, timing adjustments, and that invisible wall of self-doubt that haunts every pitcher after a knife has touched his elbow. For Chicago, that means one harsh reality: Steele’s comeback is a gift, not a guarantee.
There’s a lesson written in Atlanta’s 2025 season — where Spencer Strider, returning from Tommy John, fought through a 4.45 ERA over 125 innings, flashes of brilliance tangled with the residue of surgery. Steele, more reliant on precision than power, may need even more time to rediscover the rhythm that once defined his breakout 2023 campaign.
So where does that leave the Cubs? Staring into a crucial offseason where waiting on miracles isn’t an option. President Jed Hoyer and the front office can’t afford to treat Steele’s recovery as the offseason’s “big addition.” Not this time.
The rotation — battered, inconsistent, and thin — needs more than sentiment. It needs reinforcements. The Cubs must build a structure sturdy enough to hold while Steele climbs back, pitch by pitch, inning by inning.
Because while his return will spark emotion — the standing ovation, the tears, the thunderous first fastball back at Wrigley — sentiment doesn’t win pennants.
Still, for those who remember the fire in Steele’s eyes during 2023’s playoff push, there’s a quiet belief that when he does return, he’ll bring something back with him — not just his arm, but his edge.
And maybe that’s what the Cubs really need in 2026 — not a savior, but a survivor.
The countdown begins. But in Chicago, the story of Justin Steele’s return isn’t about when he throws again — it’s about whether the Cubs will be ready when he does.
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