It’s been a rough few years for Justin Steele. After a dynamite 2023 All-Star campaign for the Chicago Cubs, recurring injuries limited Steele’s availability and effectiveness in 2024. The ensuing season, in 2025, saw Steele make just four starts before he needed season-ending elbow surgery.
Entering 2026, you could understand just how much Steele was champing at the bit to take the mound for the ascending Cubs again. But earlier this season, in late April, a flexor strain put Steele on the injured list for at least a month. Well, it was only supposed to be about a month.
The Cubs’ pitcher recently suffered an unfortunate setback in his recovery, as noted by manager Craig Counsell. As a result, Steele now won’t make his return to Chicago’s pitching rotation until sometime after the All-Star break … in July. Woof.
Amid all the conversation about Steele’s bad luck with his health lately, the Cubs pitcher took to his X profile on Wednesday with an emotional statement about the frustration he’s felt and how even though he’s been putting in the work to come back 100 percent, some things clearly aren’t in his control.
Steele, for all intents and purposes, poured his heart out:
Well; this is obviously frustrating on many levels. It’s hard to put into words the emotions and mental state that something like this can leave you in. Nor do I want to really.
I just know I have given 100% and have done everything that’s been asked of me and at the end of the…
— Justin Steele (@J_Steele21) April 29, 2026
Man, after everything Steele has endured since his All-Star breakout, this is so tough. You can just tell how heartbroken he is that he hasn’t been there for his Cubs teammates as much as he’s wanted to.
Writing this message couldn’t have been easy, but kudos to Steele for trying to control his narrative. Showing such vulnerability and resolve through this injury adversity is a lot in itself. I’m sure the Cubs and their fans will appreciate him opening himself up like a book. Hopefully, Steele can look like himself as a pitcher whenever he does start throwing again.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cubs’ Justin Steele makes heartbreaking statement on injury recovery