3 burning questions the Chicago Cubs are nowhere close to answering

2. Can this rotation survive without Justin Steele?

Arguably, the one player the Cubs simply couldn't afford to lose to a significant injury this year was Justin Steele. The rotation already looked like it lacked a big arm heading into the season, with their only additions being Matthew Boyd and swingman Colin Rea. Season-ending surgery for the team's ace, however, has added even more uncertainty to a group that, barring a significant developmental win, isn't equipped to replicate his impact.

The good news is that, so far, the rotation has exceeded expectations. By FanGraphs WAR, Boyd and Rea have been the team's two most valuable pitchers so far, with respective 2.01 and 1.32 ERAs. Despite a couple of bumpy outings, Shota Imanaga has been impressive again as well, and, despite his 4.73 ERA, Jameson Taillon has been rock solid as well since giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings to start his year in Arizona. The main question mark has been Ben Brown, who, at a 4.57 ERA and 4.52 FIP, has flashed both his potential and his inefficiency on the mound.

Hoping that all of these arms will continue to pitch consistently at this level might be wishful thinking, though. Can Boyd continue to pitch at this level and stay healthy? Can Brown get the walks under control? Will Imanaga beat the regression fears that come with his flyball-heavy profile? Just about everyone in this rotation has some questions that Steele, for the most part, lacked. He also brought a reputation for muscling through games and eating innings, even when he didn't have his best stuff.

The current rotation-mates will have to keep doing this deeper into the season to prove they can be trusted to consistently keep the Cubs in games and not wreck the bullpen. Fortunately, they also have some potential depth waiting in the wings, assuming Javier Assad comes back from the IL at some point or Chris Flexen continues his strong run in Iowa. Deeper in the summer, the team's #2 prospect should also make his debut, assuming he also continues his torrid pace against Triple-A batters. A report from Bruce Levine has also confirmed they're already eying a potential trade for an impact starter, meaning another big upgrade could be coming at the deadline.

How or if they'll survive Steele's absence depends on so many factors and decisions that we ultimately won't know until later this season whether the right levers were pulled to keep things together.