How Justin Steele Fared in His First Rehab Start With the Iowa Cubs

It's been 513 days since Justin Steele last threw a pitch in MLB for the Chicago Cubs.

A devastating elbow injury requiring UCL surgery shut him down in April 2025, and a flexor strain 12 months later threw a wrench in his recovery.

Now, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally getting brighter.

Justin Steele in his first rehab outing:
1.2 IP | 4 H | 1 ER | 0 BB | 2 K

He averaged 90.3 mph on his FF and 89.7 mph on his SI.

So good to see him back on the mound. pic.twitter.com/Q1Bjuf6ltn
— Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) September 2, 2026

Steele took the mound for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs on Wednesday, marking his first rehab start this season after ramping up with bullpen sessions and live batting practice in Arizona.

The left-hander sported a beardless, short-haired look far different from the last time he pitched as a Cub.

JUSTIN STEELE

In his first rehab go-around, I thought his outing was encouraging. Sitting 89-91 mph with some sliders whipped in there. He was in or around the zone on many pitches.

Good for him. That has to feel good. Happy for him. pic.twitter.com/opXcrCafxc
— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) September 2, 2026

The clean-cut Steele then struck out the very first batter he saw in the I-Cubs' matchup with the Columbus Clippers.

Steele's evening finished after 36 pitches and 1.2 innings. He allowed just one earned run on four hits to go along with two punch outs.

His fastball velocity averaged 90.3 mph, which is (hopefully) likely to ramp up as he gets more reps. For reference, Steele's fastball averaged 91.6 mph in his last fully healthy season in 2024.

Will this translate to an appearance for the Cubs before the season ends? Per Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, it remains not out of the question.

As Justin Steele starts AAA rehab Hoyer is open minded about a return: "We'll see. We're not in development mode at this point. If he can come back & he can help us he's going to come back & he's going to help us. If there's rust & he needs more time it's not the time to do that"
— Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) September 1, 2026

Hoyer told reporters at Wrigley Field on Tuesday that Steele is not in "development mode," per the Chicago Tribune's Meghan Montemurro.

"If he can come back and he can help us, he's going to come back and he's going to help us. If there's rust and he needs more time, it's not the time to do that," Hoyer told reporters.

The Cubs, of course, could always use more pitching help, especially as the stretch run of the season turns into a playoff push. They (perhaps now famously) have the lowest pitching fWAR in MLB of 3.4 to complement their MLB-best offensive fWAR of 33.5 and MLB-best defensive fWAR of 61.7.

So, yes, there's a huge disconnect across those facets of the Cubs' game, and Steele could always be used if he's ready. He is, after all, probably the Cubs' most consistent arm over the last five seasons.

The southpaw sports a 3.30 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 102 appearances (506.2 IP) since his debut in 2021. The Cubs sorely missed his production over these last two seasons, and getting him back, whether that's this season or next, will be a major addition to a pitching staff in need of stability.

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