Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday in a radio appearance that he doesn't expect Steele (elbow) to rejoin the major-league rotation this season, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Steele underwent UCL revision surgery last May and then encountered a setback in late April, when he was diagnosed with a flexor strain. The lefty resumed a throwing program Monday, and while Hoyer didn't rule Steele out as a bullpen option for the Cubs later this season, he's not expected to be a candidate for the rotation in 2026. Instead, Steele will be brought along slowly as the Cubs prepare him to be healthy heading into the 2027 campaign.