ARLINGTON — Justin Steele stayed with the play and recorded a formidable out, nevertheless it got here at a value for the Cubs’ Opening Day starter. The North Siders will now hope that the sight of the left-hander clutching the again of his left leg on Thursday night time doesn’t show overly expensive for the rotation as this season will get underway.
Throughout the fifth inning of a 4-3 loss in Texas that lasted 10 frames, Steele tumbled to the bottom at Globe Life Discipline and grabbed at his left hamstring after fielding a bunt off the bat of Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras. It introduced a swift finish to Steele’s night time and subdued the feelgood vibes that include shifting from Spring Coaching to Opening Day.
“You are going to have issues like this occur through the season,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell stated. “First day of the season, it most likely stings a bit of worse. However that is going to be a part of our season and it is testing us instantly.”
This primary check is prone to embrace Steele touchdown on the 15-day injured listing, as Counsell detailed within the wake of the walk-off loss to the reigning World Collection champions. The supervisor famous that Steele sustained a left hamstring pressure and would bear imaging on Friday’s off-day to assemble extra data.
It’s a blow to a rotation that’s already with out veteran righty Jameson Taillon, who’s on the 15-day IL and dealing his means again from a again difficulty that flared early within the spring. Backup rotation choices on the 40-man roster embrace Triple-A Iowa righties Hayden Wesneski and Ben Brown. Lefty Drew Smyly can also be an possibility to maneuver again out of the bullpen.
“We’ll depend on depth this yr, for certain,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer stated earlier than Thursday’s sport. “There is no query we’ll want lots of pitching. And I believe we’re in good condition that means organizationally. However that is one of many daunting features of beginning this marathon.”
Steele had six strikeouts via his 4 2/3 innings, along with his lone setback a sacrifice fly off the bat of rookie Wyatt Langford within the fourth. Within the fifth, the lefty allowed a leadoff double to Ezequiel Duran, who was then erased throughout a rundown between second and third. Evan Carter reached first safely after his fielder’s selection groundout on that play.
That set issues up for Taveras, who bunted a pitch up the first-base line to advance Carter with the rating caught in a 1-1 impasse. Steele hustled off the hill, reached all the way down to pluck the ball from the bottom and made a bare-handed flip to first baseman Michael Busch for the out. The pitcher instantly grabbed his leg after falling.
“After I was leaning over backhanding the ball, I simply form of felt one thing seize,” Steele stated. “So I simply went down with it and did not wish to do something to threat additional damage.”
What was Counsell considering as he headed out to verify on Steele?
“It is only a disgrace,” stated the supervisor. “I imply, he is pitching actually, rather well. Clearly he is an essential member of the staff, and it appears to be like like we will miss him for a bit of bit right here.”
In his last spring begin on Friday, Steele left his look towards the Giants after being struck on the left knee by a pointy comebacker. The pitcher sustained a left knee contusion, however confirmed fast enchancment and was cleared to proceed on track for his Opening Day task.
The Cubs entered this season with excessive hopes for Steele, who loved a breakout displaying final yr. The lefty gained 16 video games and piled up 176 strikeouts towards 36 walks, with a 3.06 ERA in 173 1/3 innings. Steele was named to his first All-Star staff and completed fifth in voting for the Nationwide League Cy Younger Award.
“He was superior for us final yr,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ stated. “You watch him pitch and see how a lot he cares, nevertheless it’s not talked sufficient nearly how a lot he cares about the remainder of the group, how a lot he invests himself into people.”
Steele hopes he isn’t sidelined for too lengthy.
“Spirits are excessive,” he stated. “Opening Day, all of the jitters and all the pieces, I used to be undoubtedly nervous in the present day main as much as the outing. It was good to really feel all these feelings and get again on the market, get on the horse once more. I am going to have a speedy restoration from this and get proper again on the market.”