Ominous Justin Steele injury update should have Cubs fans on high alert

The concern meter was elevated on Monday night when Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell revealed that Justin Steele would not be making his scheduled start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

Counsell was a guest on "Score Afternoons" on 670 The Score prior to the game on Tuesday night and provided a positive update on Steele.

The issue with Counsell delivering the good news is that he had to reassure everyone that it was indeed good news. While that may just be due to Counsell's stoic nature, the impression was that the Cubs weren't quite sure if a trip to the IL could fully be ruled out.

Almost at the same time as Counsell was on local radio airwaves, Steele was providing an update himself.

This does not have the feel of the forearm strain that Steele dealt with during September of last season. Steele was forced to leave a start early last September with initial fear that the Cubs' ace was dealing with a serious injury. 24 hours later, it was clear that the Cubs and Steele avoided a serious injury.

Steele and Counsell are acting as if Steele's current elbow soreness can be put in a similar category but alarm bells do sound when the starting pitcher says he does expect to pitch again this season. It's an ominous expectation as that does not mean that Steele will be ready for his next turn in the rotation after Kyle Hendricks goes in his place tonight.

One cautionary tale for the Cubs may be Adbert Alzolay's. Last September, Alzolay was dealing with a forearm strain before the Cubs ultimately brought him back during the final weeks of the season. While there is no confirmation that it is related, Alzolay has been dealing with forearm issues most of the season prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in August.

For now, Cubs fans can be cautiously optimistic that Steele should be available soon for the remainder of the Cubs' push for a postseason berth.