Justin Steele's recovery timeline confirms a Cubs' need for not just this season

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele's surgery recovery timeline has been revealed. The team expects their ace to be out for a year.

Steele only logged four starts when he went to the injured list with elbow tendinitis earlier this month. The elbow issues had been lingering since at least last season, and after seeking a second opinion, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action for a permanent fix.

Until now, it was unclear whether Steele needed a full Tommy John surgery or not, which has a recovery time of 12-18 months. But Steele underwent flexor tendon surgery on Friday.

Steele has been a permanent fixture in the Cubs' starting rotation since 2022, making 91 starts with a career 3.30 ERA and 41 quality starts in a Cubs uniform. Chicago will certainly miss the Mississippi native for the next twelve months, but here is what they can do to fill the void.

How should the Cubs respond?

In the short term, there really isn't much the Cubs can do but lean on their starting pitching depth. Big trades are not common three months before the trade deadline. If the Cubs are still in first place or at least competing for a playoff spot, which they definitely should be, they should be heavily involved in the starting pitching market.

Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Luis Castillo are likely candidates to be moved this year, and any of them would give the Cubs another workhorse inning-eater with multiple years of team control. These are the types of players the Cubs can afford, as their farm system contains five top-100 prospects (six if you include Matt Shaw) at the Triple-A level. Many of these guys are blocked out at the major league level, and the Cubs should take advantage of their high value to acquire quality pitching.

Although Steele's timeline is expected to be a year, the Cubs should prepare for him to miss a significant chunk of next season as well, and I think a realistic return date is sometime in the summer of 2026. Even if they don't trade for one of the three players mentioned above, the starting pitching class is very deep next offseason. Top-level talent like Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez, and Michael King are all expected to hit the open market, and the Cubs would be wise to pursue one of them.