Cubs Pitching News: Boyd's Rehab Start, Steele Takes a Step, Wiggins Back in Bullpen

At this rate, Chicago Cubs fans are happy to devour any crumb of positvity.

Their recent ten-game losing streak has made this one of the most bizarre seasons in franchise history, let alone MLB history! Only two weeks back, the Cubs sat at the top of the NL Central and had multiple ten-game winning streaks under their belt. Now, they are sitting at the bottom of the division and out of the postseason picture entirely.

The good news is that there is still A LOT of time for the tides to turn. The MLB season is still in its first leg, and the Cubs have clearly proven they have the ability to string together solid outings. Additionally, their issues in the injury department should hopefully improve in the coming weeks and months. It's no secret that this team has been smacked across the face with IL stints. Their bullpen has multiple key starters and relief arms going through rehab.

To be sure, help will not be on the way in the coming days, but Chicago did receive a handful of positive updates over the last 24 hours or so. Let's go over which pitchers are trending in the right direction as the team's skid continues.

Cubs Pitching Updates

Matthew Boyd

Craig Counsell shared with reporters on Tuesday that Matthew Boyd is set to make his first rehab start. The veteran lefty will appear on the Iowa Cubs mound this Sunday, when the team takes on Indianapolis. It's another shockingly positive update for Boyd, who has quickly been trending up ever since he was out of meniscus surgery.

Boyd sustained a meniscus tear in a fluke fashion while playing with his children. While he needed surgery, the procedure revealed that it was more of a "trimming" of the meniscus than a full repair. This allowed the Cubs to put his return timeline at around just four to six weeks. Boyd is clearly favoring the front end of that schedule, as his Sunday start will be less than 4 weeks post-surgery.

Of course, only time will tell how comfortable Boyd looks and how quickly the Cubs want to add him back into the mix. The last thing they want to do is bring him back too soon, thus risking complications. However, time is also suddenly of the essence for the North Siders. They need all the help they can get right now, especially after Jordan Wicks was smacked around for eight runs in his first taste of big league action.

Even if Boyd's start to the year left a lot to be desired, having his experience back in the starting rotation could be a huge boost for this group.

Justin Steele

After facing an unfortunate setback in his recovery, Justin Steele received some positive news this week. The former Cubs ace got clearance to move into the next phase of his rehabilitation. He will be able to start strengthening before moving onto plyo balls over the next few weeks, per Marquee's Elise Menaker.

While this is undoubtedly some very exciting news for Steele, it still doesn't guarantee that he will be available to help the Cubs this season. The team insisted there is still no timeline for his return to Wrigley, as this is considered one of the early steps in his overall recovery. However, the door certainly is not shut for Steele to find his way back into the rotation this season. All parties are definitely hoping that this can be the case.

With that said, the Cubs can not bank on Steele's second-half health. The team's need for starting pitching is painfully obvious, and pursuing that at the trade deadline feels like a must – assuming they don't turn into sellers, of course!

Jaxon Wiggins

Jaxon Wiggins may not be part of the big league roster any time soon, but he represented another key pitching injury for this organization. The team's No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Wiggins has been held to only two Triple-A outings this season due to elbow inflammation. However, Jed Hoyer told the Chicago Tribune's Meghan Montemurro that Wiggins will throw a bullpen in Arizona this week.

Wiggins has been able to do a few sessions thus far, but he has not ramped up enough for any in-game action. Regardless, as someone that the Cubs desperately want to evaluate at the Triple-A level this season, this is a promising development for the 24-year-old.

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