Justin Steele To 15-Day IL; Cubs Recall Top Prospect Ben Brown
1 year agoChicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) hit the 15-day injured list Saturday with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. In a corresponding news report, the team has decided to recall top prospect Ben Brown from the Iowa Cubs. Brown, a 24-year-old righty, features a full arsenal. Last year, he was 6-8 with a 5.33 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 100 strikeouts in 72 innings across AA and AAA. Brown dominated Double-A before having some struggles adapting to Triple-A last season. His role on the Cubs could be clearer, but manager Craig Counsell suggested they were not altering the rotation. Expect Brown to be available in relief over the next couple of days, with an expectation that he could start a game next week in Steele's place against the Colorado Rockies. According to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, Steele will miss all of April. Brown was excellent in the spring, garnering a .64 ERA in 14 innings with only five walks and 12 strikeouts, and is a speculative add in deep leagues.
Source: Chicago Cubs @cubs
Source: Chicago Cubs @cubs
Justin Steele Scratched With Illness
3 weeks agoChicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (illness) was scratched from his scheduled Cactus League start on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals due to flu-like symptoms. Right-hander Ben Brown, who is competing for a spot in the Opening Day starting rotation, will replace Steele. It's not a big deal for Steele, and he should be ready to make his third start of the spring in a couple more days. In his first two Cactus League appearances, the 29-year-old southpaw has allowed two earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out seven in five innings pitched. Steele broke out in 2023 but got off on the wrong foot last year due to a hamstring strain that caused him to miss a month. He also had a forearm injury late in the year. Steele's fantasy upside is limited because of his lack of strikeout stuff, but his fastball-slider combination generate plenty of weak contact. Consider him a solid target as a No. 3 fantasy starting pitcher.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Maddie Lee
Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Maddie Lee
Justin Steele "In Line" To Start Second Game Of The Season
1 month agoChicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday that left-hander Justin Steele "is in line" to start the second game of the regular season in Tokyo, Japan, on March 19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fellow lefty Shota Imanaga was named the Opening Day starter for the first game in Tokyo. DFS gamers will likely be avoiding Steele in his first outing of the year against the toughest lineup in baseball, but he should be considered as a No. 3 starting pitcher target in upcoming fantasy drafts. The 29-year-old southpaw missed some time last year with injuries but finished with a strong 3.07 ERA (3.23 FIP), 1.09 WHIP and a 135:37 K:BB in 134 2/3 innings over his 24 starts. A below-average career strikeout rate of 24.4% limits Steele's fantasy upside, but he makes up for it by limiting hard contact, dominating lefties and issuing few walks (7.4% career walk rate).
Source: Watch Marquee - Andy Martinez
Source: Watch Marquee - Andy Martinez
Justin Steele To Start On Wednesday
6 months agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (elbow) is set to come off the injured list and take the mound against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. Steele has been out since late August due to elbow tendinitis. This is a welcoming sight for the Cubs who aren't quite eliminated from playoff contention yet. The return of Steele will push the rest of the starters back a day, according to manager Craig Counsell. Steele holds a 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 131/34 K/BB ratio this season. He'll be a favorable fantasy option for his first start back on the mound.
Source: Taylor McGregor
Source: Taylor McGregor
Justin Steele Throws Bullpen On Wednesday
7 months agoChicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and will throw another bullpen this weekend at Coors Field in Denver. "This is a true day-to-day thing and so we had a really good day today. This is like five days of straight good news, which is encouraging," manager Craig Counsell said. It was the first time that Steele threw off a mound since landing on the 15-day injured list a week ago with left-elbow issues. The 29-year-old southpaw will need to get through another bullpen before then facing live hitters. Barring a setback, Steele should be able to return to Chicago's rotation before the end of the year to help fantasy managers that are still playing for a championship. When healthy in 2024, Steele has been relevant in all fantasy leagues, going 5-5 with a 3.09 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a career-best 24.9% strikeout rate in 22 starts (128 innings).
Source: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
Source: Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
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