The Chicago Cubs are limping; their division lead is slipping away. And Justin Steele, the man who was supposed to be the anchor of the rotation, is now watching from the dugout, nursing his season-ending elbow injury. But even if off the mound, Steele’s voice carries weight, especially when it comes to one of the biggest names in the game—Shohei Ohtani.

As LA tests out an unconventional plan, which is easing Ohtani into pitching with single-inning starts, fans and analysts have grown uneasy. However, for Steele, who knows how grueling the 162 games can be for a pitcher, there is a certain awe at what Ohtani is even trying to achieve here.

Steele, talking to Foul Territory, said, “He’s the modern-day Babe Ruth… He’s the greatest player we’ve ever seen. We’ve never seen somebody do what he does at this level.” And yet he gets it, the caution and the weird one-inning-at-a-time rollout.

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Steele mentioned on Foul Territory, “Well, you gotta think—with him, it’s hard for him (Shohei Ohtani) to get to a minor league affiliate and do rehab starts… I guess it’d be really hard to send him to an affiliate or somewhere else to get the work done. One, if people catch wind of it, it’s going to be a circus, because he’s literally one of the biggest athletes on earth right now.”

But where Steele sees understanding, others see simply confusion. For example, former Marlins president David Samson lit into the Dodgers manager for having a clear lack of a plan. “Stop the presses! He pitched an inning, he threw 18 pitches, and struck out two. Yippee! What are you doing? If I’m in the media in LA, I’ve got to ask Dave Roberts, ‘What exactly is your plan with Ohtani?’” Samson simply is not buying the vague response Roberts gave when asked about Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching full-time.

Meanwhile, while the LA Dodgers are betting big on caution with Ohtani now, Steele’s comment serves as a reminder—there is nothing easy about what Ohtani is doing. “Even when I pitch every fifth day, it’s hard to stay healthy. That’s what’s most impressive—he’s doing both,” said Steele. Now it depends whether the decision will be a brilliant one or one that bites the Dodgers. Still, in Justin Steele’s own team, things are well- not looking great!

Chicago Cubs rotation in crisis as injuries mount and trade talks heat up

The Chicago Cubs have been walking on a tightrope, and it is fraying pretty quickly. Justin Steele was once a cornerstone of the staff, but he is out for the season. Jameson Taillon and Jordan Wicks have had their own time in the IL. And now even Matthew Boyd is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Shota Imanaga is expected to be healthy and possibly make a return this Thursday.

However, the problem is that Imanaga has thrown just 44.2 innings. And just four starters have crossed the 70-inning mark! And while the offense has been strong, the team can’t slug its way out of the mess. That’s why Jed Hoyer might be on the pitching help hint. According to Bruce Lebivine, the Cubs are closer to finding the trading partners. He mentioned that it could be a young veteran, someone who is not quite a radar name, but could be. Not Sandy Alcantara. Not Chris Sale, maybe a hidden gem.

Meanwhile, even position depth has become a problem. Matt Shaw, the rookie, has had a rough time at third base. And while he might not be part of the trade, the Cubs can look for another seasoned third baseman. Meanwhile, Ben Brown, who was brought in to bring some stability, has been anything but that. And given that Imanaga is coming back, there is a chance Brown gets demoted to the minors.

For the Cubs, waiting is not the game. If they act slowly, the division lead slips and October cools down.