OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Sat 4/17/21 1:37 PM

Steele was optioned to the Cubs' alternate training site Saturday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
EDGE Analysis
Steele joined the major-league bullpen Monday after three pitchers were placed on the COVID-19 injured list. The southpaw allowed two hits and one walk while striking out four in 3.1 innings across three relief appearances in the big leagues. He'll return to the team's alternate site after Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler were reinstated from the COVID-19 IL on Saturday, but Steele could be a candidate to serve as bullpen depth later in the season.

OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Mon 4/12/21 6:43 PM

Steele was recalled by the Cubs on Monday.
EDGE Analysis
Steele is one of three relievers who joined the bullpen Monday, with three other pitchers heading to the COVID-19 injured list. The 25-year-old lefty has yet to throw an inning above Double-A, so he'll likely be limited to lower-leverage innings during his time with the team.

OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Fri 3/19/21 1:52 PM

Steele was optioned to Triple-A by the Cubs on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
EDGE Analysis
The 25-year-old was in the mix for a rotation spot but was never a likely bet to make the Opening Day roster since he's never pitched above Double-A. Steele spent last season at the alternate training site and had a 5.59 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 42:20 K:BB over 38.2 innings at Double-A in 2019.

OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Mon 2/15/21 8:22 PM

Steele is among a handful of players vying for an open rotation spot with the Cubs this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Cubs have plenty of innings to fill after parting ways with Yu Darvish, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood this offseason, and Steele is ostensibly an option to start. However, the 25-year-old has never appeared above the Double-A level, and he only got to participate at the Cubs' alternate training site last season. Steele will likely begin the 2021 season in the minors, though he could get a shot in the majors at some point if he performs well.

OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Thu 8/6/20 12:14 PM

The Cubs optioned Steele to their alternate training site in South Bend on Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Steele was one of two Cubs relievers sent down to the alternate site while the team reduced its active roster from 30 to 28 men, with Rex Brothers set to join him in South Bend. The Cubs didn't use Steele out of the bullpen after he was called up Sunday.

OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Sun 8/2/20 10:15 AM

Steele will be recalled from the alternate training site before Sunday's game against the Pirates, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
The 25-year-old struggled in 11 starts (38.2 innings) at Double-A Tennessee with a 5.59 ERA and 1.70 WHIP last season, but he'll now join the Cubs to potentially make his major-league debut. Steele is likely to be utilized in a low-leverage role.

OUTJustin Steele
SP CHC
Sat 3/9/19 3:44 PM

The Cubs optioned Steele to Double-A Tennessee on Saturday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
EDGE Analysis
Steele has only made two starts above the High-A level, but the Cubs saw enough potential in the 23-year-old lefty to protect him from the Rule 5 draft this winter. He'll likely stick in the Tennessee rotation for the majority of the season, though a midseason callup to Triple-A Iowa is a possibility if he performs well early on.