Craig Counsell announces Cubs lose key rotation pitcher for the rest of the 2025 season

Craig Counsell and the Chicago Cubs will have to move forward with their current rotation, now relying on a pitcher who wasn’t originally expected to be part of the group. One of their key arms is officially out for the season and will require elbow surgery after dealing with lingering discomfort over the past few weeks.

According to Counsell, the Cubs are losing left-hander Justin Steele for the remainder of the 2025 MLB season due to a left elbow injury that will require surgery. It’s a tough blow for a rotation already patching holes, with another pitcher having taken Steele’s spot while the team awaited an update.

Steele’s season was cut short after just four starts, during which he posted a 4.76 ERA across 22.2 innings, with a 3-1 record. The Cubs had hoped he could surpass last year’s mark of 24 starts, but that will no longer be possible.

Who is replacing Justin Steele in the rotation?

The Cubs already had a replacement in action while Steele was on the injured list. That role has gone to 34-year-old Colin Rea, who rejoined the Cubs after spending five years between Major League Baseball and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Justin Steele #35 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the second inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Field on April 7, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Rea last pitched in the majors in 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers, appearing in one game and posting a 4.29 ERA. He was previously with the Cubs in 2020, appearing in nine games and starting two, with a 5.79 ERA. So far in 2025, Rea has pitched 5.1 innings in relief across three appearances and has yet to make his first start of the season.

When could Steele return?

Initially diagnosed with tendinitis, Steele’s surgery will also address damage to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). According to Mass General Brigham, recovery from that type of surgery typically ranges from 6 to 12 months.