2025 Player Outlook
Steele missed about a month and a half earlier in the season with a hamstring issue, and after a few rough starts following his return, he was solid the rest of the way, allowing three or more earned runs in three of his final 19 starts. Also, he posted a 2.47 ERA (2.76 FIP) and 9.22 K/9 during that run. Steele has posted a 3.18 ERA or lower in each of the past three seasons and harnessing his command of the strike zone has helped keep his WHIP at a solid level. He may not have fantasy ace upside, but he’s a reliable starter that will give you solid ratios, and a good offense backing him has Steele in line for the second season of his career with 10+ wins.
Player News
Cubs transferred LHP Justin Steele from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Steele will miss the rest of 2025 season after undergoing surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in April. The left-hander is now off the 40-man roster, and the Cubs used that room to sign Nicky Lopez.
Justin Steele underwent successful left elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) revision surgery on Friday.
It’s a less invasive procedure than a full Tommy John reconstructive surgery, which would’ve resulted in a longer recovery timeline, but Steele will still miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign. The positive news for fantasy managers is that the 29-year-old fantasy stalwart has a chance to return in the early stages of next season.
Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Sunday that left-hander Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery on his left elbow.
It didn’t sound good when news broke that Steele was seeking a second opinion on Friday and now the unfortunate news hits that he’ll go under the knife and miss the rest of the season. It’s unclear if he’ll undergo the traditional Tommy John procedure or the internal brace procedure, so it’s tough to speculate on just how long he’ll be shelved for. It’s a very tough break for fantasy managers in redraft leagues who now need to cut bait with someone who was drafted to be a staple in their starting rotation.
Cubs’ skipper Craig Counsell told reporters on Friday that Justin Steele will get a second opinion on his injured left elbow.
Steele underwent an MRI exam on Thursday that showed more of the same — tendinitis in the same area that sidelined him for a couple of weeks down the stretch during the 2024 season. It sounds like someone is at least concerned that there could be something else at play though. While there’s no reason to hit the panic button just yet, it’s a situation that fantasy managers should continue to monitor.
DFS Last 5
Date | Opponent | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 7th | Rangers | 32.8 |
| Apr 2nd | @Athletics | 18.2 |
| Mar 28th | @Diamondbacks | 8.5 |
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