The Chicago Cubs began the regular season with a worry about thier rotation’s fifth starting pitcher. The Cubs handed that role to Ben Brown, but the team has a new worry with Justin Steele.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Friday night that an MRI showed Steele has the same issue he dealt with last season in his left elbow. Chicago is awaiting a second opinion before they decide what to do with Steele.
Justin Steele might be headed toward surgery
Per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Counsell said Steele wants more information before deciding on Tommy John surgery.
“There’s no decisions right now,” Counsell said. “Justin wants to get all the information. He wants to get another opinion. So until we do that, I think we got to wait for that and let him use all the information to decide what’s next.”
Steele dealt with tendinitis in September and previously had Tommy John surgery in 2017.
With Steele likely to miss significant time in a year they’re in the running to win the NL Central, the Cubs need to find another starting pitcher.
The Chicago Cubs might inquire on Lance Lynn’s new asking price
Earlier this year, Chicago was linked to a player who recently retired. At 37, Lance Lynn chose to call it quits after teams balked at his asking price for 2025.
“Update: baseball season is upon us, ” Lynn said during an appearance on “Dymin In The Rough.” “And I’m right here on the couch. And that is where I’m going to stay. So, there’s the update. I am officially retiring from baseball right here, right now.”
The Cubs reportedly started negotiations with Lynn before their trip to Japan in March. Lynn said the “money didn’t work out” with the teams he talked to in the offseason.
“Well, there’s a couple of different things,” Lynn said of why he chose to retire at 37. “You start looking around free agency. Obviously, there were some interests from the teams here and there. Money didn’t work out. Now you’re looking at the season started. I’ve really enjoyed not being there.”
The Cubs might be desperate enough to pay the money necessary to get the Indianapolis, Indiana native off the couch if Steele has to have surgery. Lynn has a 143-99 record in the MLB and a career ERA of 3.74. He went 7-4 with the Cardinals in 2024, recording an ERA of 3.84 in 117.1 innings pitched.
Lance has more to give Chicago than being another face in the crowd to bash the White Sox.
Jul 30, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (31) is congratulated by manager Oliver Marmol (37) after the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers walks off the field after the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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