Well before Cade Horton went down, hurting the Cubs’ postseason chances, Justin Steele was lost to an elbow injury. The lefty made just four starts, the last of which featured seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts, before undergoing season-ending UCL revision surgery along with flexor tendon repair. His recovery seems to be going well, and he shared on X that he’s begun playing catch after having been “ripping plyos into the wall” for a weeks.

Steele had previously undergone full UCL reconstruction, or Tommy John surgery a few years ago, but this latest procedure was the newer internal brace method. That typically leads to faster recovery by using two PEEK SwiveLock anchors loaded with collagen-coated FiberTape suture and a #0 FiberWire repair suture to reinforce, or brace, the repaired ligament. Due to the nature of the procedure, it’s possible for athletes to return to their previous level of competition in under a year.

“In 2017, when I had my first Tommy John (surgery), they pulled the ligament out of my forearm and used that — so that was my new UCL,” Steele told Marquee during the NLDS. “I remember relearning how to throw with the new hardware that was in my arm. That was the hardest part — the mental hurdle I had the first time.

“(Now) it’s the same hardware, and it feels the same as five months ago, when I was throwing against the Rangers. So there really hasn’t been a mental hurdle. It’s just been putting my nose down, and just doing the work every day.”

Getting hurt so early is working in Steele’s favor, as he may even be ready to go by Opening Day. The 2026 season begins on March 26, nearly a full year from when he was first hurt. That gives him five more months to ramp up, which is more than enough time provided everything goes well and there are no setbacks. The Cubs still need to work on strengthening the rotation, but getting Steele back early after missing almost all of last season would be a big addition at no cost.

Regardless of the exact timing, I would just ask that Craig Counsell skips Steele the next time the Cubs face the Rangers. After the hamstring at the start of 2024 and the elbow this year, they really can’t take any more chances.