{"id":141630,"date":"2026-01-18T16:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T16:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=141630"},"modified":"2026-01-18T16:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T16:30:13","slug":"cubs-justin-steele-drops-devastating-injury-update-that-leaves-fans-in-total-shock-and-panic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=141630","title":{"rendered":"Cubs&#8217; Justin Steele Drops DEVASTATING Injury Update That Leaves Fans in Total Shock and Panic!"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"article-3671527\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.clutchpoints.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Justin-Steele-with-Chicago-Cubs-2.jpg?w=1200\" alt=\"Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Chicago Cubs received meaningful news this weekend as the club continues shaping its pitching plans for the 2026 season. With an encouraging injury update coming directly from pitcher Justin Steele, optimism has grown around the rotation as potential return timelines begin to take shape earlier than initially anticipated.<\/p>\n<p>Chicago gathered at CubsCon with several roster questions still unresolved, but Steele\u2019s progress quickly emerged as one of the most discussed developments. After months of controlled throwing, his recovery has reached a critical stage that signals tangible forward momentum.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking openly about his recovery, the southpaw confirmed a key milestone in his rehab. The move from flat-ground throwing to pitching off a mound tests both elbow stability and confidence, making it an important step for Chicago\u2019s rotation moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Marquee Sports Network shared Steele\u2019s comments on its official X (formerly known as Twitter) account following an on-site interview at CubsCon, providing clarity on where the left-hander stands in his recovery.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Justin Steele threw off the mound for the first time since his surgery in a bullpen session yesterday. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WSk167pcWB\">pic.twitter.com\/WSk167pcWB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WatchMarquee\/status\/2012585386342535540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI got off the mound yesterday for the first time, yeah,\u201d Steele said.<\/p>\n<p>When asked how the session felt, he described the physical relief and mental reassurance that accompanied the moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt felt great. I\u2019ve been doing the normal throwing progression for months now, and it\u2019s been feeling really good. Getting back on the slope felt like a return to normal, and now I\u2019m ready to start building volume off the mound again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The update carries weight because it confirms Steele\u2019s elbow can tolerate mound stress. That progression moves him from rehabilitation maintenance into a structured buildup phase focused on workload, pitch mix, and consistency.<\/p>\n<p>While Chicago does not expect Steele to be ready for Opening Day, his current pace keeps him on track for a return during the first half of the season. For a rotation managing depth and durability, his progress represents stability beginning to re-enter the picture, particularly as younger arms continue to develop and workloads are carefully monitored.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chicago Cubs received meaningful news this weekend as the club continues shaping its pitching plans for the 2026 season. With an encouraging injury update coming directly&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":141634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cubs&#039; Justin Steele Drops DEVASTATING Injury Update That Leaves Fans in Total Shock and Panic! - 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=141630\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cubs&#039; Justin Steele Drops DEVASTATING Injury Update That Leaves Fans in Total Shock and Panic! - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Chicago Cubs received meaningful news this weekend as the club continues shaping its pitching plans for the 2026 season. 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