Chicago Cubs rumored to be bracing for bad news on Justin Steele

Ever since Justin Steele went on the IL with “elbow stiffness,” Chicago Cubs fans have been bracing themselves for the worst news. After all, our fandom has taught us to always expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised when 2016 happens. However, there were hopes, mainly because Steele didn’t seem all that worried, that his stint on the IL would be brief.

Unfortunately, the vibe around Wrigley might be all that hopeful this morning. While the Cubs are working on finding a replacement for Steele in the short term, they might need a long-term sub instead.

Chicago Cubs beat writer Jesse Rogers appeared on ESPN 1000 on Friday morning and offered a warning. Steele’s MRI imaging has been done and the club is now waiting for the results. And while Rogers made it clear that he cannot report anything concrete right now, he feels as though the front office is preparing for the possibility that it won’t be a “minimum stay,” on the IL.

When anyone hears a report like that, the mind will race to possible Tommy John surgery. Any talk about elbow issues is always going to make that a worry. And Rogers isn’t going there yet. Neither is anyone from the Cubs … yet. 

It’s, of course, possible that a “longer stay” doesn’t mean the absolute worst, but it’s hard to imagine what the imaging could show in that area that would be screaming shutting Justin Steele down for the rest of the season.

The Chicago Cubs do have some backup options, but this isn’t a rotation that is as deep or has as many healthy bodies as it has in the past. With Javier Assad already on the IL and hot prospects like Cade Horton still coming back from their own injuries, things could get dire if the Steele news ends up being the worst of all worlds.