One of the best baseball teams has just lost an important piece in its 2025 puzzle.
The Chicago puppies, central leaders of the National League, suffered a hard blow with the left -handed zurdo Justin Steele who needed a Tommy John surgery of season sale, the team announced Sunday.
Initially, Steele was expected to be lost only a few weeks after experience tendonitis for the third time since last year, but the puppies chose to obtain images to shed more light on the persistent injury.
The 29 -year -old was previously subjected to Tommy John surgery in 2017, by ESPN, and it is not clear if he will need the replacement ligament or review surgery.
In any case, Steele’s 20th season is over and its 2026 will be affected due to the long rehabilitation process.
“He has a great attitude about it, as he always does, and he knows he is a son from the career he has chosen,” said the manager of the Cubs, Craig Counsell, to the journalists. “And leave it one step at a time and do my best to return even better.”
The left-hander ends 2025 with a 3-1 record to go along with an effectiveness of 4.76 after publishing a better effectiveness of 3.06 in 2023 and continuing with an effectiveness of 3.07 last season.
Steele finished fifth at NL Young Voting in 2023.
The puppies, who have a 11-7 start, will surely be on the market for a starting pitcher, with Sandy Alcantara in Miami that is expected to be the best pitcher available this season.
For now, the puppies will lean more in Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd and Ben Brown, with Colin Rea entering the rotation and starting their first game on Sunday against the Dodgers.
The North Siders have an early advantage of two games ahead of the reds and brewers in the National League Central.