The Chicago Cubs are on a roll, having won eight of their last 10 games and coming to within 3 1/2 games of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. They've even overtaken the rival St. Louis Cardinals for second place in the weak NL Central.
Unfortunately for the North Siders, they have been dealt a significant blow, and it appears that they may be without one of their top pitchers for the remainder of the season.
Jesse Rogers of ESPN provided the latest update on Twitter Monday night.
"Justin Steele scratched for the Cubs tomorrow due to elbow soreness," Rogers wrote. "Kyle Hendricks to start in his place, per Craig Counsell."
This is a major blow for the Cubs. Steele had been one of their most consistent starters all season long. In 22 starts, the 29-year-old left-hander was 5-5 with a 3.09 ERA over 128 innings of work. He also had recorded 131 strikeouts and a 1.09 WHIP.
The Cubs still have life in the playoff race, but they will need to continue their recent surge without Steele. More than likely, Steele will be out for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The Cubs have little hope of catching the Milwaukee Brewers, but the final Wild Card remains a possibility. Still, without Steele, the Cubs are going to need to scramble to fill his spot in the rotation.
We'll see how Hendricks responds to filling Steele's rotation spot and if Steele is going to be out for an extended period of time.
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