Cubs shutting down Shelby Miller could preview what's coming for Justin Steele

Despite the impression over the last two months that Shelby Miller could be a late-season addition to the Chicago Cubs' bullpen, Craig Counsell confirmed on Tuesday that Miller has been shut down for the rest of the season.

No, Miller didn't suffer a setback during his minor-league rehab assignment, the Cubs are simply ending his season with the reality that the veteran pitcher will not only spend the entire offseason healthy, but be ready for spring training in 2027.

As Counsell put it, the risk of Miller pushing the envelope even furhter this season in his recovery outweighed the reward. Counsell has maintained that if the bullpen is going to be stabilized before the playoffs, it will come from the pitchers currently on the team's roster. Even if Miller had joined the big-league club this season, he likely wasn't going to be used in a role of consequence.

Along those lines, it's important to emphasize that the Cubs signed Miller in February with the expectation he wasn't going to pitch for the team this season. The fact Miller was even in a position to be considered for a big-league return before October is impressive in itself.

Cubs may have tipped their hand with Justin Steele by shutting down Shelby Miller

Given how Counsell described the decision to shut down Miller, it feels like Justin Steele will share a similar fate within the next week. Steele was scheduled to pitch for the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to weather. Losing a day in his rehab assignment only further pushes back the timeline of his return.

Through his first three rehab appearances, Steele has given six runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts. He's very much looked like a pitcher who hasn't pitched since the start of the 2025 season, and his fastball was sitting in the range of 89-91 MPH.

If anything, it should have reset expectations for Cubs fans. This current version of Steele isn't someone who is going to magically save the bullpen during the playoffs. If Steele were to make his return this season, it's hard to expect him to be used in any high-leverage situation.

That realization should lead the Cubs to making the decision to shut Steele down after his next rehab outing. Similar to Miller, a healthy Steele is going to be an important piece to the pitching staff in 2027. The Cubs shouldn't risk that by having force the issue in October, considering he likely won't be in a role of consequence.

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