Craig Counsell’s latest update on Justin Steele made one thing pretty clear: if the left-hander gets back to the Cubs this season, it probably won’t be in the rotation.
Steele has kept moving forward in his throwing program, and Counsell said he’s set to throw off a mound during the first week of August. That timeline leaves too little runway for a normal starter buildup, which points to a bullpen role if he returns at all.
And even that is not a sure thing. Steele has already dealt with one setback in his recovery, so a late-season comeback should be treated as a bonus rather than an expectation.
Still, there’s value in the possibility. Getting Steele back in any capacity would give the Cubs another arm they can lean on as October approaches, especially with the organization expected to be active at the deadline.
Phil Maton is also back in motion after landing on the injured list with a knee issue, and his rehab assignment opened with a promising sign. On Wednesday, Maton struck out four in 1.2 scoreless innings for Iowa, a sharp reminder of the kind of late-inning weapon the Cubs thought they were signing to a multi-year deal last offseason. Instead, his first three months in Chicago have been rocky, with a 6.08 ERA in 30 appearances.
The bullpen has helped keep the Cubs afloat, but it still looks pieced together. Chicago is 12 games above .500, yet the relief group remains a clear area of need. Maton’s return matters because the Cubs need him to become a real factor down the stretch, not just another body in the mix.
Daniel Palencia adds another layer of uncertainty. Counsell said Palencia won’t resume throwing until after the All-Star break, a frustrating development in what has already been a strange 2026 season. He has a 2.70 ERA in 19 appearances, but the underlying numbers - a .341 BABIP and 1.38 WHIP - suggest he hasn’t been as overpowering as he looked last October and in the World Baseball Classic.
For the Cubs, the message is simple enough: they need Maton and Palencia healthy and effective over the final two months. Even then, it wouldn’t be a shock if Chicago still went shopping for an established closer at the deadline, or at least another high-leverage reliever.
In Other News...
Former Cubs Prospect Owen Caissie Just Hit An Alarming Setback
Owen Caissies first season with the Marlins has been one of the more closely watched developments for Cubs fans since he changed organizations, and now it has hit a rough patch. The 22-year-old outfielder has been a real middle-of-the-order presence, appearing in 80 games and supplying 12 home runs and 50 RBIs while giving Miami a needed jolt of left-handed power.
The setback comes at a time when Caissie had started to look like a steady everyday piece, even with the swing-and-miss that has followed him at times. Miami filled the roster spot by bringing up Rece Hinds from Triple-A Jacksonville, but for now the bigger question is how long Caissie will be sidelined and whether this interruption slows down the momentum he had built this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Get Burned Again As Bullpen Misery Meets Brutal Call
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Then came the ninth-inning sequence that left Chicago with even less to show for its effort. Nico Hoerner was ruled out on a close play at second after the Cubs thought they had a chance to keep the rally moving, and the kind of call that can hang around long after the final out only added to the sting of a loss that again pointed back to the same issue: this bullpen still needs help, and the front office knows it has to find some before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]