Cubs News: Justin Steele leaves game with forearm issue

Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Sports

by Tony Crumpton - Senior Editor - Wed May 31 15:30:42 GMT-04:00 2023

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele pitched three perfect innings (29 pitches) before leaving the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

At the end of the inning, Cubs manager David Ross and the trainer Nick Frangella came out to see Steele as he showed some discomfort during a pitch during the inning.

Steele didn't come out for the fourth inning.

Instead, youngster Hayden Wesneski started the fourth inning of play.

Cubs President of Operations Jed Hoyer said during the telecast on Marquee Sports Network that Steele was trying to stretch out his forearm for most of the game, and they wanted to be cautious and decided to remove him before it got worse.

Hopefully, this is just precautionary, as we will update you when we get more definite information from the Cubs.

“When he went back out there in the 3rd, I got word that he had a little bit of throbbing in the elbow, but didn’t feel it throwing, just as he was cooling down,” Ross said after the game. “Radar went way up, obviously. Talked to the trainers, they felt comfortable, then watched him kinda pumping the hand and stretching the forearm a little bit and went out and checked on him. Said he didn’t feel it all, no tingling, no shot down the arm, anything like that, so I let him finish.”

Steele has a 2.77 ERA and 1.108 WHIP in 11 starts, and 65 innings pitched this season.

Update: According to Cubs officials, Steele got pulled from the game with left forearm tightness. David Ross said after the game that Steele will have some imaging done tomorrow on the arm.

Here is the play that Steele has some apparent discomfort on:

Justin Steele has been removed from the game after a 9up / 9down start to the game.

Only thing I could see was perhaps some left arm/shoulder discomfort after a pitch.

pic.twitter.com/i4olUnqXOs
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) May 31, 2023