Cubs Star Pitcher Getting Second Opinion on Elbow Sounds Extremely Concerning

The Chicago Cubs could be preparing for some absolutely devastating news.

Michael Brauner | Apr 12, 2025

Mar 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs entered the 2025 season with a pitching staff that always looked like it was going to be a bit of a concern, however, if things held together, they would be able to salvage things.

It's simply the nature of this game that injuries to key players, whether major or minor, are inevitable. Guys will spend stints on the injured list over the course of the long marathon that is a full season of Major League Baseball.

The Cubs got their first bite of the injury bug this past week when their star left-hander Justin Steele, on the heels of one of the best performances of his career, was placed on the 15-day injured list for what was described as tendonitis in his pitching elbow.

Initial reporting indicated the injury is not seen as serious and Steele should not be down more than a couple of weeks.

But now, Chicago is apparently being more thorough by finding out exactly what is wrong and are sending him for a second opinion.

Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times reported Friday night that Craig Counsell told the media that the injury Steele is dealing with is virtually the same as one which caused him to miss a couple of weeks down the stretch last season.

The fact that it is recurring has made the team desire more information.

"We want to make sure we know why it has happened again so Justin’s got all the information and then we can go from there," Counsell said.

As of Saturday morning, there has been no new information as to whether Steele's injury is any more serious than the initial reports stated, though any time a pitcher is sent for an MRI and a second opinion on a seemingly standard injury, it's usually not great news.

If Steele were to be out for any sort of extended absence or even found to be dealing with a major injury, it would take an already thin pitching staff and decimate its potential to at least be solid.

In order for things to work in the starting rotation, Chicago desperately needs both Steele and Shota Imanaga healthy and productive at the top, so if one of the two aces miss an extended amount of time on the injured list, that would not make things easy.

Cubs fans will be waiting on pins and needles for a definitive confirmation that Steele is going to be just fine, and until they see him back on the field, nerves will likely continue to flow.

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