Cubs Boss Craig Counsell Sheds Light On Justin Steele's Return Timetable

The MLB winter meetings aren’t just for making deals. It’s for providing updates on injured players.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele missed most of last season after an elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery. He’s less than a year into his recovery and manager Craig Counsell talked about the left-hander’s recovery during his time with the media earlier this week in Orlando.

Because the recovery timetable for this surgery can be variable, Counsell didn’t want to speculate too much on when Steele could return. But he does know when he’ll have a better idea.

“I think we'll know in spring training kind of a target area or date,” he said. “It’s not going to be opening day, but I think it will be the first half of the season.”

Craig Counsell on Justin Steele's return: "It's not gonna be Opening Day ... I think it'll be the first half of the season." pic.twitter.com/jP1hxayOBI
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December 9, 2025

Justin Steele’s Recovery

The recovery period for a Tommy John surgery is anywhere from 12 to 18 months. If Steele is following the typical recovery timeline, he’s probably engaged in a light throwing program, which would set him up to start a build-up program in his recovery when the Cubs report to spring training in Mesa, Ariz.

This is the second time he’s had a Tommy John surgery. He had one in 2017. This one was a revision to fix the existing ligament and now what is considered a full reconstruction, which is what he previously had.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister, one of the top surgeons in the field who also happens to be the team surgeon for the Texas Rangers.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The revision may allow Steele to return a bit sooner than a typical Tommy John surgery. But recovery can be tricky. For instance, Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom had his surgery in June of 2023 and didn’t return to the Majors until September of 2024, though he went through a full throwing program and minor league rehab build-up before making his debut.

April will mark the one-year anniversary of the surgery, so Steele’s build-up is likely to ramp up after that, assuming his recovery is typical.

Steele went 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in four starts before he suffered the injury. He struck out 21 and walked five in 22.2 innings.

MORE: MLB Insider Reveals The Free Agent Pitcher The Cubs Are Linked To "The Most"

pic.twitter.com/Hg1qgyBk3T
— Justin Steele (@J_Steele21) December 8, 2025

His breakthrough season was in 2023, when he went 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts, with 176 strikeouts and 36 walks in 173.1 innings. He made the National League All-Star team for the first time and finished in the Top 5 in Cy Young voting.

The Cubs’ fifth-round pick in 2014 is 32-22 in 102 games (91 starts) with 517 strikeouts and 155 walks in 506.2 innings.

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