Frustration is boiling over in Chicago after another crushing update. As if missing Cade Horton to a second elbow surgery was not enough, the Chicago Cubs have lost Justin Steele, again, even before he came back from the injury. After the news of Steele’s rehab being put on hold, he has given out a statement about what he feels about the new injury.

“Well, this is obviously frustrating on many levels. It’s hard to put into words the emotions and mental state that something like this can leave you in,” said the Chicago Cubs ace.

The pitcher continued and said, “I just know I have given 100% and have done everything that’s been asked of me, and at the end of the day, that’s all I can do.”

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The 30-year-old Steele had elbow surgery in April 2025 after making just four starts. He posted a 3-1 record with a 4.76 ERA before that elbow injury ended his season. The Cubs targeted a return in May of 2026 after he threw live bullpen sessions in April.

That timeline reflected steady rehab progress following more than 12 months of structured recovery. The expectations also went up after there were rumors about a minor league start before coming to the majors.

However, Steele reported discomfort during the rehab, leading doctors to diagnose a flexor strain in his elbow.

Manager Craig Counsell confirmed that Steele was shut down for a month and will be re-evaluated after that. This pushes his return well past the All-Star break in July.

This shutdown is required because flexor strains often occur when there is stress near a repaired ligament. And if Chicago doesn’t treat this carefully, this might go in the wrong direction.

This setback hit the 30-year-old Cubs ace mentally, as he described frustration after completing every assigned rehab step as he was asked. He stated he gave 100% effort and followed all instructions throughout his recovery.

“I just know I have given 100% and have done everything that’s been asked of me, and at the end of the day that’s all I can do,” Steele said. “But somethings just can’t be explained. For a lack of a better term; “s–t just happens sometimes.”

Steele, however, also showed confidence in his abilities and expects himself to be back better than ever.

“I also know I am one of the best pitchers on this planet. And I will get back to that and even better.”

That confidence reflects his mindset despite missing over a year of game time. He thanked his fans for their messages, noting that it meant more to him than many of them know. Steele also said he misses daily clubhouse routines, showing the emotional toll the time away from the mound has taken on him.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs hold an 18-12 record despite having 11 pitchers on the injured list. Cade Horton is out until mid-2027 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The rotation now relies on Shota Imanaga, who has a 3.15 ERA across six starts.

Without Steele, the Cubs lose a pitcher who posted a 3.06 ERA in 2023. He also delivered a 3.07 ERA across 24 starts in 2024 despite a couple of injuries. His absence forces starters to exit earlier as the team will need their arms, and increases the workload on the bullpen. Chicago’s depth issues can also be seen clearly, as Charlie Barnes and Yacksel Ríos have been called up multiple times.

If Steele returns near the end of July, he could still impact games during the final stretch. And hopefully make a push for the postseason.

This injury crisis was inevitable for the Cubs.

The injuries are piling up for the Chicago Cubs, but should it really be a surprise that this is happening?

Chicago started the 2026 season with eight pitchers who already had a history of getting hurt. Take Cade Horton, for example. He pitched just 53.2 innings his freshman year of college before needing Tommy John surgery. The warning signs were always there.

Chicago tried limiting his workload. He averaged less than four innings a start in the minors. But he still hurt his shoulder. Just when he looked healthy in 2025, his elbow gave out. The stats show pitchers with past elbow surgeries usually get hurt again. The Cubs took the risk anyway.

Then there is Caleb Thielbar. He started the season at 39 years old. Pitchers that age constantly deal with muscle tears. Sure enough, he is already out with a bad hamstring. That was just another big gamble by the front office. They also took a chance with Hunter Harvey. He only pitched 10.2 innings in 2025 because of shoulder and groin issues.

With these red flags ignored, the Cubs were always at risk of dropping the ball at some point, and the time has come. Even the bullpen plan relied on two relievers older than 35. At that age, handling late-inning pressure roles was always going to strain their bodies.

Phil Maton has been dealing with a bad knee. Daniel Palencia throws close to 100 mph, but guys who throw that hard constantly break down. Between those two and Caleb Thielbar, the Cubs lost three of their most important relief pitchers in the first month alone.

The starting rotation is going through similar issues.

Edward Cabrera has missed time in each MLB season, including multiple IL stints since 2021. Edward Cabrera has landed on the injured list every single year since 2021. Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea are both 35 now, which is a dangerous age for pitchers. Plus, Jameson Taillon is always battling random calf and groin problems.

Instead of pursuing durable arms like Dylan Cease, Chicago spread payroll across several arms that carry heavy risk.

Now, that plan is backfiring. They don’t have good backups in the minors either. Especially with Jaxon Wiggins injured.

With limited call-up options, Chicago has to consider trades or new additions before July. Because that is the crunch time, and if the Cubs want to get to the postseason again, they will need to make a quality move quickly.

And the responsibility for all this falls on Jed Hoyer, who has built this roster over the past few seasons. The Cubs remain competitive with a 18-12 record, but with these pitching gaps, the margin for error is very thin.