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Justin Steele

Cubs Activate Justin Steele, Place Patrick Wisdom On 10-Day IL

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As expected, the Cubs activated Justin Steele from the 15-day injured list, as the left-hander is scheduled to start today’s game against the Orioles.  Steele will take the place of Patrick Wisdom, as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) reports that Wisdom is being placed on the 10-day IL due to a right wrist sprain.

Wisdom was replaced by pinch-hitter Ian Happ in the sixth inning of yesterday’s 10-3 Cubs win over Baltimore, a move that seemed like in-game strategy at the time but could have been related to Wisdom’s wrist problem.  The 31-year-old infielder also has only two hits in his last 36 plate appearances, so it is possible this wrist sprain might have occurred a while ago, and Wisdom was trying to play through the discomfort.

The recent slump has dropped Wisdom’s slash line to .196/.285/.467 for the season, with 14 homers over 208 plate appearances.  While that production still translates to a slightly above-average 102 wRC+, it continues Wisdom’s trend of being a power-centric bat who offers little beyond the long ball.  Wisdom has hit .213/.298/.465 with 67 homers over 1117 PA with Chicago since the start of the 2021 season.

Wisdom has played mostly third base this season, with a handful of appearances as first base and in both corner outfield spots.  Nick Madrigal has been seeing regular work at third base since being recalled from Triple-A a little over a week ago, and the Cubs might prefer to see what the 26-year-old Madrigal can do with more frequent playing time, which might make it tough for Wisdom to work his way back into the lineup once he returns from the IL.

Steele returns after missing only slightly more than the minimum 15 days, which is a great outcome given the ominous nature of forearm strains.  However, Steele’s strain didn’t involve any structural damage, so the southpaw was able to make a quick recovery.  Steele has been excellent in 2023, posting a 2.65 ERA over 68 innings while relying on outstanding control and one of the league’s best soft-contact rates.

Cubs Place Justin Steele On 15-Day Injured List

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The Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 1.  Taking Steele’s spot on the active roster is catcher Miguel Amaya, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa.

As detailed in reports earlier today, the MRI on Steele’s forearm revealed no structural damage, leaving even some possibility that Steele might miss a start but avoid doing on the injured list altogether.  However, it appears as though the Cubs have decided to err on the side of caution, which is understandable given the larger-scale injuries that can be associated with forearm problems.  For now, it would seem possible that Steele might be able to return after the minimum 15 days, making this IL stint perhaps just a blip in what has been an otherwise excellent season for the 27-year-old southpaw.

Steele has a 2.65 ERA over 12 starts and 68 innings, along with a strong 5.9% walk rate and an elite 28% hard-hit ball rate.  Steele’s 21.4% strikeout rate is well below average, but his ability to both keep the ball on the ground (48.4% grounder rate) and induce soft contact has been a winning recipe for success, and even a step up from his quality numbers in 2021-22.

The forearm problem arose during Steele’s start on Wednesday, as he was perfect over three innings against the Pirates before being removed from the game.  Hayden Wesneski is slated to take Steele’s spot in the rotation, and Wesneski is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Angels.

Amaya made his MLB debut by playing in six games for Chicago earlier this season, and the former top-100 prospect will now get another look at the big league level.  With Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart taking up the catching duties, it remains to be seen how much playing time Amaya might get during this latest stint in the Show, and it might end up being a relatively brief stay until the Cubs feel the need to call up a fresh arm.

NL Central Notes: Steele, Votto, Adames, Miley, Velasquez

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Cubs fans received some positive news regarding left-hander Justin Steele yesterday. The 27-year-old hurler was pulled from his start on Wednesday after just three innings of work due to forearm tightess and underwent an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the issue. As noted by MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian on Twitter, Steele described the result of the MRI as “good news” and said that the plan is for him to play catch today before determining the path forward. With that being said, WSCR-AM’s Bruce Levine notes that a source considers Steele “likely” to miss his next start, which he would otherwise be on schedule take Tuesday against the Angels.

After securing a spot in the starting rotation to open the 2022 campaign, Steele ended last season looking like an above-average, mid-rotation or better starter over 24 starts, posting a 3.18 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 24.6% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate, and 51.2% groundball rate in 119 innings of work. Only budding Rays ace Shane McClanahan managed to post a higher strikeout rate while maintaining a groundball rate over 50% last year. What’s more, Steele has managed to build on his strong first season as a regular starter for the this season, with a 2.65 ERA that’s only bested by rotation-mate Marcus Stroman and Braves youngster Bryce Elder in the National League.

The news that his forearm strain isn’t anything serious and he’s unlikely to miss significant time is surely a relief for a Cubs team that has relied on the young lefty to carry their pitching staff alongside Stroman, with the duo representing 18 of the club’s 25 quality starts in 2023.  With that said, it seems likely that right-hander Hayden Wesneski will fill in for Steele in the event the injured left-hander does miss a start. Wesneski struggled to a 4.81 ERA and 5.65 FIP this season after earning the fifth spot in the club’s rotation with a dominant performance in spring training, leaving the Cubs to remove him from the rotation when Kyle Hendricks returned to the mound from injury.

More from around the NL Central:

  • According to MLB.com, Brewers shortstop Willy Adames has resumed baseball activities for the first time since he was struck by a foul ball in last week’s game against the Giants, landing him on the 7-day concussion IL. Adames is currently working out with the the club’s High-A affiliate rather than joining the club on their flight to Cincinnati in order to avoid the wear-and-tear of air travel, according to manager Craig Counsell. The club plans to decide whether or not Adames, who has struggled to a 84 wRC+ in 51 games this season, needs a minor league rehab assignment before he can return to big league action later this weekend. In the meantime, they figure to continue going with a combination of Brice Turang, Owen Miller, and Andruw Monasterio up the middle.
  • Sticking with the Brewers, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy notes that left-hander Wade Miley is making good progress on his rehab from a posterior serratus strain. While he was initially expected to be shelved for six to eight weeks, McCalvy reports that if Miley is able to avoid any setbacks he’s currently set to return from the IL after just four weeks after throwing a bullpen session on Thursday. Miley posted eight solid starts for the Brewers prior to his injury as the veteran lefty threw 41 2/3 innings of 3.67 ERA baseball.
  • Reds first baseman and future Hall of Famer Joey Votto is set to begin a rehab assignment with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Louisville today, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. Votto has been on the shelf since he underwent surgery on his rotator cuff back in August, and posted a wRC+ of just 92 in 91 games prior to the surgery. Still, he figures to share first base and DH duties with Spencer Steer upon his return to big league action.
  • Right-hander Vince Velasquez was activated from the injured list and returned to the Pirates’ rotation just last week, but immediately felt discomfort in his right elbow and returned to the injured list. According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, his current IL-stay will not be a short one, as the veteran is expected to be transferred to the 60-day IL in the near future. Velasquez had pitched well for the Pirates across eight starts this season prior to his injury, with a 3.86 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. Velasquez’s return to the IL leaves the club with a rotation of Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, Johan Oviedo, Rich Hill, and Luis Ortiz.

Justin Steele To Undergo MRI Due To Forearm Tightness

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4:25pm: Steele will undergo an MRI, Ross tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.

4:05pm: Cubs left-hander Justin Steele was removed from today’s start after throwing three perfect innings. The trainer had visited him in that third inning and Steele finished the frame but didn’t return in the fourth. The club later announced to reporters, including Jesse Rogers of ESPN, that the southpaw was removed due to forearm tightness.

It’s too early for the club to have any kind of firm diagnosis on the issue, but Steele will undoubtedly undergo further testing to get a clearer picture of the situation. Forearm tightness is an ominous combination of words for a pitcher as it often precedes a serious ailment, though that’s not always the case. Nonetheless, it will be a situation to monitor given that Steele has only grown in importance recently.

Now 27, Steele broke out last year by posting a 3.18 ERA in 119 innings over 24 starts. He struck out 24.6% of batters faced, walked 9.8% and got grounders at a 51.2% rate. He’s only further cemented himself in the Chicago rotation this year, as his outing today dropped his ERA to 2.65. His strikeout and ground ball rates have declined slightly, but he’s also allowing far fewer walks and home runs.

With the recent return of Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs have a set rotation that also consists of Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon, Drew Smyly and Steele. The strength of that group pushed Hayden Wesneski out of the picture, as he was optioned to the minors earlier this month. He was recalled yesterday with the plan of him helping out of the bullpen, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. That has come into play quickly, as he jumped into today’s game when Steele departed, throwing 59 pitches over 3 2/3 innings.

Prior to getting optioned, Wesneski had been working as a starter and could perhaps do so again if Steele needs to miss any time. That would likely be a downgrade for the club, as the righty had a 5.03 ERA in his eight starts this year. He’s still young, 25 years old, and could certainly take a step forward. But Steele has been one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball in many categories this year, including ERA, FIP and fWAR. It would be unfair to expect just about any pitcher to step in and replicate that kind of production.

There could also potentially be effects elsewhere in the club’s system, as Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported earlier today that the club was open to various paths to supplementing its bullpen. Codi Heuer is working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery, but the club has also seemingly given some thought to promoting youngsters like Ben Brown or Daniel Palencia. “Everyone is on the radar at this point,” manager David Ross said. “We’re hoping Codi comes back soon. That could be, hopefully, another big-league arm that is able to help us out. Ben Brown has been throwing the ball really well in the starter role. Palencia has been sent to the ‘pen, to work out of the ‘pen and try to learn that role — what that consists of, how to go back-to-back, the recovery with all that. There’s a plan in place, for sure, and big-picture stuff. But this is what we’ve got right now. We have conversations daily about those things.”

Brown, 23, came over from the Phillies in the David Robertson trade. He has a 2.25 ERA through nine starts this year, split between Double-A and Triple-A. Palencia, meanwhile, came over from the Athletics in the 2021 Andrew Chafin deal. He had a 5.87 ERA through five Double-A starts this year before getting bumped to the Triple-A bullpen for his two most recent appearances. Neither player has made their major league debut yet but Brown does have a 40-man roster spot.

The club is scrambling a bit to try to cover for a poor performance from its bullpen so far this year. Their relievers have a collective ERA of 4.55 on the season, a mark that places them 27th out of the 30 clubs in the league. All of these conversations were happening before Steele’s departure today. If that proves to be an injury of any significance, it would only stretch their staff further, though they will surely be hoping it proves to be something minor that passes quickly.

NL Notes: La Stella, Phillies, Sosa, Hand, Steele, Gray

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Tommy La Stella won’t play again this season as he continues to recover from neck spasms that sent him to the 10-day injured list since September 12.  Multiple injuries have limited La Stella to 136 games over his first two seasons with the Giants, and though the team owes La Stella $11.5MM in 2023 (the final year of his three-year contract), The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser opines that La Stella might be a candidate to be designated for assignment.  One would imagine the Giants would explore trades before going the DFA route, yet in either case, the club would very likely end up eating just about all of La Stella’s remaining salary, unless they can swap him for another undesirable contract.

The changing rules limiting defensive shifts will be a factor in San Francisco’s decision-making, as La Stella will now have to show more range in order to play second or third base, and La Stella’s mobility has been rather limited since undergoing Achilles surgery.  Since a more athletic roster is a stated offseason goal of president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, Slusser wonders if La Stella could be the odd man out if he is unable to play anywhere beyond first base or DH.

More from the National League…

  • The Phillies are on the cusp of clinching a wild card, and interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) that the injured Edmundo Sosa and Brad Hand could be options to return for the playoffs should the Phils qualify.  A right hamstring strain has kept Sosa on the 10-day IL since September 16, while Hand was retroactively placed on the 15-day IL on September 22 due to tendinitis in his throwing elbow.  The versatile Sosa hit a scorching .315/.345/.593 in 59 plate appearances after being acquired by the Cardinals on July 30, while Hand has struggled over his last few outings but still has a 2.80 ERA over 45 innings for the season.
  • Justin Steele has been shut down for the remainder of the season, Cubs manager David Ross told The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro and other reporters.  Steele hasn’t pitched since August 26 due to a lower back strain, and while Steele has been throwing bullpens, that work has been more about getting Steele fully healthy rather than prepping him for a final appearance in 2022.  In his first full MLB season, Steele has a 3.18 ERA over 119 innings, with an above-average strikeout rate even though walks (9.8 BB%) were an issue.  The left-hander has nonetheless put himself in good stead for a rotation spot in 2023.
  • The Nationals also won’t start Josiah Gray again this year, as manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden) that Gray already talked his way into some extra work beyond his initial limit of 130 innings.  Gray finishes with 148 2/3 innings in his first big league campaign, though it was far from smooth sailing for the right-hander.  Gray has allowed a Major League-leading 38 home runs and an NL-leading 66 walks, en route to a 5.02 ERA over 28 starts.

Cubs Select Hayden Wesneski, Designate Kervin Castro

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9:05am: The Cubs have now formally announced this set of moves, further specifying that Steele’s injury is a lower back strain. His placement on the 15-day IL is retroactive to Sept. 2, per the team.

8:12am: The Cubs are set to select the contract of pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski for his Major League debut, per the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. Righty Kervin Castro is being designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Left-hander Justin Steele, meanwhile, will be placed on the 15-day injured list. Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times tweeted yesterday that Steele’s next start — which had been scheduled for today — was being pushed to the weekend due to a nagging back injury. Now, it seems the Cubs will now give him at least a two-week break to heal up.

Wesneski, 24, was acquired from the Yankees in the one-for-one trade that sent righty Scott Effross to New York prior to the trade deadline. He currently ranks sixth among Cubs farmhands at Baseball America, 12th at MLB.com and 16th at FanGraphs.

The 6’3″, 210-pound Wesneski has appeared in five games in the Cubs organization, all coming with Triple-A Iowa. He’s posted an ugly 5.66 ERA in that time, although that’s due primarily to a disastrous eight-run clunker through just 1 2/3 innings in his organizational debut. Wesneski has bounced back with a 2.37 ERA and 21-to-6 K/BB ratio over his next four appearances (three starts, one relief outing, 19 total innings).

Wesneski has spent the entire season at the Triple-A level despite this just being his second full season after being drafted in the sixth round back in 2019. (There was, of course, no minor league season in 2020.) He’s turned in a 3.92 ERA with a 23.2% strikeout rate, a 7.9% walk rate and a  42.7% ground-ball rate. Wesneski works primarily off a two-seamer and a lesser-used four-seamer (the latter reaching the upper 90s on occasion), complementing those two heaters with a trio of offspeed offerings, all with at least average potential.

Even at the time of the deal, Wesneski was touted as a quick-rising, near-MLB-ready arm that could find his way into the Cubs’ rotation in the very near future. Whether this will just prove to be a spot start or the first step in a more permanent audition remains to be seen, but Wesneski figures to get legitimate chance to crack the rotation next spring, even if this is just a one-off promotion born out of necessity. The scouting reports at BA, MLB.com and FanGraphs all tab him as likely fourth/fifth starter. He’ll be controllable through at least the 2028 season.

As for the 23-year-old Castro, he was a waiver claim out of the Giants organization in early August who wound up throwing 10 2/3 innings out of the Chicago bullpen. Castro’s 92.7 mph average fastball was down nearly two miles per hour from his 2021 velocity, and he’s had considerable issues throwing strikes both in the big leagues and in Triple-A this season (with both the Giants and Cubs). He’s been tagged for 14 runs in 12 1/3 MLB frames this year (10.22 ERA) and also has a 5.19 ERA in Triple-A. He’s walked 15.1% of his opponents between Triple-A and the Majors this year. The Cubs will place Castro on waivers or release him within a week’s time.

Cubs Select Jeremiah Estrada

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The Cubs announced a series of transactions as part of the expansion of active rosters from 26 to 28 players. Infielder David Bote was recalled from Triple-A Iowa, while pitchers Justin Steele and Adrian Sampson were reinstated from the restricted list after missing the team’s series in Toronto. Jeremiah Estrada and Brendon Little had each been brought up as temporary substitutes for that series.

Little has been returned to the minor leagues and will not occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, but Chicago is keeping Estrada with the big league club. His contract has been formally selected, and he now occupies a permanent 40-man spot. To create room on the roster, the Cubs transferred starter Wade Miley from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.

Estrada, 23, made his first MLB appearance on Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. He struck out two while averaging a blistering 98.1 MPH on his fastball. The right-hander has had a strong season in the minors, working 48 1/3 frames across three levels. He has a cumulative 1.30 ERA with a massive 40.4% strikeout percentage, although his 10.4% walk rate is a bit worrisome. The former sixth-round pick clearly has high-octane stuff and has shown himself capable of missing bats in the minors, and he’ll now get a month to audition for a spot in next year’s season-opening bullpen.

Miley’s transfer is a formality that won’t affect his recovery window. Out since mid-June with a shoulder strain, he’s already spent more than 60 days on the injured list and will be eligible for reinstatement when he’s ready. An impending free agent, Miley has maintained he plans to make it back to the majors this season to showcase his form before he hits the open market. The club hopes he can begin a minor league rehab assignment this week, tweets Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Cubs Place Justin Steele, Adrian Sampson On Restricted List

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Aug. 30: Estrada has now officially been selected as a substitute player, reports Lee on Twitter.

Aug. 29: Steele and Sampon have officially been place on the restricted list, tweets Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, with Little taking one spot on the roster. Montemurro adds that Estrada is with the team and likely to be added tomorrow.

Aug. 28: The Cubs will be traveling to Toronto for a three-game series that begins tomorrow, though left-hander Justin Steele and right-hander Adrian Sampson will not be making the trip. They will instead be placed on the restricted list, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. That’s standard procedure for players unvaccinated against COVID-19, as current health restrictions prevent such individuals from crossing the American-Canadian border.

Normally, the club wouldn’t be able to make corresponding moves right away, as league rules dictate starting pitchers aren’t eligible to be replaced until four days after they last pitched in these circumstances. Sampson started today’s game, though Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune tweets that he will indeed be eligible to be replaced due to having thrown less than four innings today. Steele, on the other hand, threw 5 1/3 innings on Friday, meaning the Cubs should be able to bring in someone else to take his spot by Tuesday.

Although no moves have been made official just yet, Montemurro relays that left-hander Brendon Little and right-hander Jeremiah Estrada are with the team. Neither are currently on the club’s 40-man roster, but they will likely be added as COVID “substitutes” and subsequently removed after the series without having to be exposed to waivers.

The 26-year-old Little was selected by the Cubs 27th overall in the 2017 draft. That high draft selection got him onto Baseball America’s list of top prospects in Chicago’s system in 2018 and 2019, though he’s since lost his spot on that list. This year, he’s thrown 39 Triple-A innings with a 4.15 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, 11.6% walk rate and 62.6% ground ball rate.

Estrada, 23, was a sixth-round pick in 2017. He’s spanned three levels this year, from High-A to Triple-A, faring well at each stop. Through 48 1/3 combined innings for the season, he has a 1.30 ERA with an incredible 40.4% strikeout rate, along with a 10.4% walk rate.

Central Notes: White Sox, Cubs, Tigers

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The White Sox rolled out a $128MM payroll on opening day this year, already the highest in franchise history, but don’t expect Chicago to curb their spending now. Team options for the newly acquired Cesar Hernandez and Craig Kimbrel would bring their payroll for next season up to $150MM — and that’s before arbitration raises – but owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Rick Hahn have prepared for this payroll spike and they’re ready for it, per The Athletic’s James Fegan. If Hernandez and/or Kimbrel aren’t part of the 2022 Sox, it won’t be because of their impact on the payroll. Elsewhere from the flyover states…

NL Central Notes: Senzel, Gant, Cardinals, Cubs, Hoerner

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It’s going to be longer than originally expected before the Reds get Nick Senzel back on the field, as manager David Bell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon) that Senzel isn’t likely to be activated from the 60-day injured list as soon as he is immediately eligible.  “I would think towards the end of July before we would see him back here,” Bell said.  “That’s a bit of a guess, but just because there’s not an exact clear day right now. He’s definitely progressing the right way, but it’s just taken some time.”

Senzel was initially placed on the 10-day IL on May 21 and he underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery five days later, with Cincinnati shifting him to the 60-day IL in June when an 40-man roster spot was required.  The 60-day placement backdates to May 21, so Senzel would have been eligible to return just after the All-Star break.  While pushing Senzel’s return date back from mid-July to late July isn’t a huge delay on paper, it does represent even more lost time for a player who has unfortunately become an injured-list regular during his young career.  On the plus side, Senzel has already started some light baseball activities, such as pre-game throwing over the last few days.

More from the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals are shuffling their rotation, as manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com’s Zachary Silver and other reporters that right-hander John Gant is moving to the bullpen.  Gant has a 3.76 ERA over 14 starts and 64 2/3 innings, though a 6.00 SIERA, a host of advanced metrics and a league-high 48 walks indicate that Gant has been very fortunate to post such a respectable ERA.  Though control has been an issue for Gant throughout his career, he has posted good results as a reliever in the past, so the Cards are hopeful he can help out a struggling bullpen.  As for the open rotation spot, it will likely be recently-signed veteran Wade LeBlanc moving from the pen to the starting five.
  • Three injured Cubs pitchers are slated to begin Triple-A rehab assignments this weekend, as The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro was among those to report that right-hander Dillon Maples (triceps strain) will begin his rehab today, while right-hander Trevor Williams (appendicitis) and left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring strain) will get underway on Sunday.  In addition, infielder David Bote (dislocated shoulder) might start a rehab assignment next week.
  • There isn’t yet any word on when Nico Hoerner might begin his own rehab work, though the Cubs infielder/outfielder continues to make progress a month after being placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain.  “It was a four-to-six-week injury, and four weeks was Tuesday [June 22]. So I think we’re at the right pace,” Hoerner told Russell Dorsey of The Chicago Sun-Times and other reporters.  Hoerner has been ramping up activity over the last week, taking part in base-running drills and facing live pitching from Williams during the righty’s recent bullpen session.  Hoerner was off to a very nice start prior to his injury, hitting .338/.405/.432 over his first 84 plate appearances.
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