After getting scratched from his start on Tuesday, Justin Steele has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to an elbow issue. While there are fewer than four weeks remaining in the regular season, it seems the organization and Steele himself are hopeful that the left-hander will pitch again in 2024.
It’s hard to overstate how well Steele has been throwing for the Cubs. The season didn’t get off to an ideal start, as Steele struggled with injury and poor results; however, since June 7, Steele has certainly been the All-Star version of himself. To wit, in that 15 start span, the southpaw has registered a 2.68 ERA with a 2.60 FIP and a 25.9% strikeout rate. Specific to August, Steele managed to maintain a 2.03 ERA and hold opponents to a modest .240 wOBA.
Though there is optimism that Steele can return, the timing of this ailment couldn’t be worse for a Chicago squad that has climbed its way back into the hunt for a Wild Card spot in the NL. The Cubs entered Wednesday 4.5 games back of the Braves and they will now be without their ace for at least two weeks. Still, if you believe that Chicago can pull it off, the team is currently +1700 to make the playoffs on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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