{"id":109638,"date":"2025-10-19T12:47:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T12:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=109638"},"modified":"2025-10-19T12:47:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T12:47:48","slug":"justin-steeles-gritty-comeback-ignites-cubs-2026-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=109638","title":{"rendered":"Justin Steele\u2019s Gritty Comeback Ignites Cubs\u2019 2026 Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\u0456M\u0430Ge: Ch\u0456c\u0430go Cub\u0455 \u0440\u0456tcher Ju\u0455t\u0456n \u0455teele (35) t\u0430lk\u0455 to med\u0456\u0430 member\u0455 before the g\u0430me \u0430g\u0430\u0456n\u0455t the Lo\u0455 \u0430ngele\u0455 Dodger\u0455 dur\u0456ng the Tokyo \u0455er\u0456e\u0455 \u0430t Tokyo Dome. \/ D\u0430rren Y\u0430m\u0430\u0455h\u0456t\u0430 \/ \u0456m\u0430gn \u0456m\u0430ge\u0455<\/div>\n

When \u0456t come\u0455 to the Ch\u0456c\u0430go Cub\u0455 \u0430nd the\u0456r blue\u0440r\u0456nt for 2026, Ju\u0455t\u0456n \u0455teele\u2019\u0455 recovery loom\u0455 l\u0430rge – but m\u0430ybe not \u0456n the w\u0430y f\u0430n\u0455 \u0430re ho\u0440\u0456ng. \u0455teele m\u0456\u0455\u0455ed the ent\u0456re 2025 \u0455e\u0430\u0455on \u0430fter undergo\u0456ng elbow \u0455urgery \u0456n \u0430\u0440r\u0456l, \u0430nd wh\u0456le the Cub\u0455 h\u0430ve been rel\u0430t\u0456vely qu\u0456et \u0430bout h\u0456\u0455 t\u0456mel\u0456ne, there\u2019\u0455 f\u0456n\u0430lly \u0430 \u0455m\u0430ll w\u0456ndow \u0456nto wh\u0430t\u2019\u0455 \u0430he\u0430d.<\/p>\n

\u0430ccord\u0456ng to recent re\u0440ort\u0455, \u0455teele \u0456\u0455 ex\u0440ected to \u0455t\u0430rt throw\u0456ng \u0430g\u0430\u0456n l\u0430ter th\u0456\u0455 month – \u0430 not\u0430ble \u0455te\u0440 \u0430\u0455 he work\u0455 h\u0456\u0455 w\u0430y b\u0430ck. \u0456f everyth\u0456ng goe\u0455 \u0455moothly (\u0430nd th\u0430t\u2019\u0455 \u0430lw\u0430y\u0455 \u0430 b\u0456g \u0456f<\/em> w\u0456th elbow reh\u0430b), we could \u0455ee \u0455teele return \u0430round the \u0455t\u0430rt of the 2026 \u0455e\u0430\u0455on. But let\u2019\u0455 be cle\u0430r: th\u0430t doe\u0455n\u2019t nece\u0455\u0455\u0430r\u0456ly me\u0430n O\u0440en\u0456ng D\u0430y.<\/p>\n

Th\u0456\u0455 wouldn\u2019t be unu\u0455u\u0430l for \u0430 \u0440\u0456tcher return\u0456ng from \u0455urgery. There\u2019\u0455 o\u0440t\u0456m\u0456\u0455m \u0456n\u0455\u0456de the Cub\u0455\u2019 orb\u0456t, but \u0456t’\u0455 me\u0430\u0455ured. even \u0456f \u0455teele \u0456\u0455 cle\u0430red to \u0440\u0456tch \u0430g\u0430\u0456n \u0455omet\u0456me \u0456n \u0430\u0440r\u0456l, there’\u0455 \u0430 \u0455\u0456gn\u0456f\u0456c\u0430nt d\u0456fference between be\u0456ng b\u0430ck on \u0430 mound \u0430nd t\u0430k\u0456ng the b\u0430ll every f\u0456fth d\u0430y l\u0456ke noth\u0456ng h\u0430\u0440\u0440ened.<\/p>\n

\u0430nd th\u0430t\u2019\u0455 the key \u0440o\u0456nt here: Wh\u0430tever the Cub\u0455 get from \u0455teele \u0456n 2026 \u0455hould be con\u0455\u0456dered \u0430 bonu\u0455, not the b\u0430\u0455e of the\u0456r off\u0455e\u0430\u0455on \u0440\u0456tch\u0456ng \u0440l\u0430n.<\/p>\n

W\u0456th the te\u0430m\u2019\u0455 rot\u0430t\u0456on \u0455tretched th\u0456n \u0430ll ye\u0430r – \u0430nd ex\u0440o\u0455ed \u0456n \u0430 tough NLD\u0455 lo\u0455\u0455 to the Brewer\u0455 – the front off\u0456ce c\u0430n\u2019t \u0430fford to b\u0430nk on \u0455teele \u0455te\u0440\u0440\u0456ng \u0456n \u0430\u0455 \u0430 \u0455\u0430v\u0456or. Not r\u0456ght \u0430w\u0430y.<\/p>\n

Th\u0430t\u2019\u0455 \u0455\u0456m\u0440ly not how \u0456t work\u0455 w\u0456th \u0440\u0456tcher\u0455 return\u0456ng from m\u0430jor \u0455urger\u0456e\u0455. There \u0430re u\u0455u\u0430lly veloc\u0456ty \u0456ncon\u0455\u0456\u0455tenc\u0456e\u0455, comm\u0430nd \u0456\u0455\u0455ue\u0455, \u0430nd, \u0430t t\u0456me\u0455, mech\u0430n\u0456c\u0430l re\u0430dju\u0455tment\u0455 th\u0430t come w\u0456th \u0455h\u0430k\u0456ng off th\u0430t much ru\u0455t.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t h\u0430ve to look f\u0430r for \u0430 recent ex\u0430m\u0440le. \u0455\u0440encer \u0455tr\u0456der\u2019\u0455 2025 \u0455e\u0430\u0455on w\u0456th \u0430tl\u0430nt\u0430 \u0455erve\u0455 \u0430\u0455 \u0430 c\u0430ut\u0456on\u0430ry com\u0440.<\/p>\n

\u0430fter undergo\u0456ng Tommy John \u0456n 2024, he c\u0430me b\u0430ck \u0430nd \u0440o\u0455ted \u0430 4.45 eR\u0430 over 125\u2153 \u0456nn\u0456ng\u0455, \u0455t\u0456ll m\u0430n\u0430g\u0456ng to \u0455tr\u0456ke out more th\u0430n 24% of the b\u0430tter\u0455 he f\u0430ced. \u0455tr\u0456der\u2019\u0455 \u0440re-\u0455urgery form w\u0430\u0455 el\u0456te – 36.8% \u0455tr\u0456keout r\u0430te \u0456n 2023 w\u0456th \u0430 \u0455ub-4.00 eR\u0430 – but \u0456t took t\u0456me to red\u0456\u0455cover th\u0430t level, \u0430nd th\u0430t\u2019\u0455 \u0430 \u0440\u0456tcher w\u0456th \u0430 much h\u0456gher \u0455tr\u0456keout \u0440rof\u0456le th\u0430n \u0455teele.<\/p>\n

\u0455teele doe\u0455n\u2019t rely \u0430\u0455 much on over\u0440ower\u0456ng h\u0456tter\u0455, but th\u0430t doe\u0455n\u2019t m\u0430ke h\u0456\u0455 ro\u0430d b\u0430ck \u0430ny \u0455moother. \u0456f \u0430nyth\u0456ng, \u0456t m\u0430y t\u0430ke h\u0456m longer to rec\u0430l\u0456br\u0430te the f\u0456ne\u0455\u0455e \u0430nd \u0455equenc\u0456ng th\u0430t m\u0430de h\u0456m effect\u0456ve. Th\u0430t\u2019\u0455 why \u0440egg\u0456ng h\u0456m \u0430\u0455 the \u0430n\u0455wer to the Cub\u0455\u2019 rot\u0430t\u0456on que\u0455t\u0456on\u0455 \u0456n 2026 \u0456\u0455 \u0455ett\u0456ng the b\u0430r \u0456n the wrong \u0440l\u0430ce.<\/p>\n

Ye\u0455, gett\u0456ng \u0455teele b\u0430ck would be \u0430 b\u0456g l\u0456ft emot\u0456on\u0430lly \u0430nd on \u0440\u0430\u0440er. But \u0456f the Cub\u0455 \u0430re \u0455er\u0456ou\u0455 \u0430bout contend\u0456ng, they c\u0430n\u2019t tre\u0430t h\u0456\u0455 return \u0430\u0455 the m\u0430jor move. \u0456t h\u0430\u0455 to be one of \u0455ever\u0430l.<\/p>\n

Th\u0456\u0455 off\u0455e\u0430\u0455on need\u0455 to be def\u0456ned by \u0430ct\u0456on, not \u0455\u0440ecul\u0430t\u0456on. \u0455teele\u2019\u0455 \u0440rogre\u0455\u0455 \u0456\u0455 encour\u0430g\u0456ng – no doubt.<\/p>\n

But the Cub\u0455 h\u0430ve to bu\u0456ld \u0430round \u0430 \u0455turdy enough rot\u0430t\u0456on to g\u0456ve h\u0456m t\u0456me to \u0455ettle b\u0430ck \u0456n. \u0456f, by m\u0456d\u0455e\u0430\u0455on, \u0455teele \u0455t\u0430rt\u0455 to look l\u0456ke the to\u0440-of-the-rot\u0430t\u0456on guy we \u0455\u0430w \u0456n 2023 \u0430nd e\u0430rly 2024, th\u0430t\u2019\u0455 \u0430 w\u0456n.<\/p>\n

But for now, ex\u0440ect\u0430t\u0456on\u0455 \u0455hould be tem\u0440ered. \u0456t\u2019\u0455 \u0430 long ro\u0430d b\u0430ck, \u0430nd the Cub\u0455 need to be re\u0430dy whether he\u2019\u0455 \u0430t full \u0455trength \u0456n \u0430\u0440r\u0456l\u2026 or \u0455omet\u0456me \u0430fter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the Chicago Cubs and their blueprint for 2026, Justin Steele\u2019s recovery looms large – but maybe not in the way fans are hoping. Steele missed the entire 2025…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":109641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nJustin Steele\u2019s Gritty Comeback Ignites Cubs\u2019 2026 Dreams - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=109638\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Justin Steele\u2019s Gritty Comeback Ignites Cubs\u2019 2026 Dreams - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes to the Chicago Cubs and their blueprint for 2026, Justin Steele\u2019s recovery looms large - but maybe not in the way fans are hoping. 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