NEWSLETTER
Last night, Megan Montemurro (before the game) and Taylor McGregor (on the broadcast), provided a series of updates on five key Cubs players on the injured list: Justin Steele, Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Hendricks, and Julian Merryweather.
I know I was anxious for updates, so I’m sure you are too.
Cubs Injury Updates
1. Justin Steele
Justin Steele is on track to make his first rehab start at a Cubs minor league affiliate tomorrow with the Iowa Cubs (that means, for at least one day, Cade Horton and Justin Steele will be in the same rotation). According to Craig Counsell, the Cubs will see where he’s at after that, but “it’s possible he returns to the Cubs rotation after that outing.”
As we’ve discussed, the nature of Steele’s injury (hamstring) allowed him to continue throwing while he was out. And because he already had his initial Spring Training ramp up, the build back up doesn’t have to be too significant. If Steele’s next start after tomorrow comes with the big league team, that would put him in line to open up the series against the Padres at Wrigley Field on May 6. Yes, PLEASE.
2. Cody Bellinger
According to Montemurro, Cody Bellinger is ramping up his general baseball activity, including play catch and hitting, which is pretty incredible so soon after his two fractured ribs were uncovered. Counsell added “We’re trying to really do baseball without recreating any pain essentially. And so we’re trying to take it easy and so far so good.”
But the incredible news here is that there’s apparently a hope that his stay on the injured list will be the minimum, which would put him back with the Cubs “sometime on the next homestand,” as it was put on the broadcast. So basically right in line with Justin Steele. That is NUTS. We figured it would be a lot longer than that. Bellinger was just starting to hit really well when he collided with that outfield wall. Hopefully, he can pick right back up with no pain or limitations.
In the meantime, Mike Tauchman and Pete Crow-Armstrong have been contributing meaningfully. So with Suzuki still out and a DH spot open, maybe the Cubs ease Bellinger back in at DH anyway.
3. Seiya Suzuki
Speaking of Seiya Suzuki, Montemurro (clearly, you should be following her on X) says he “went through harder workouts Saturday and Sunday” before a rest day yesterday (Monday). If he feels good, he’ll resume baseball activities today and tomorrow.
The news gets a little vague after that, with Counsell saying it’s still “a little soon” to start thinking about a rehab assignment, because he still has some hurdles to clear.
McGregor added that Suzuki is probably a “couple weeks behind” Cody Bellinger, and unlike Bellinger, Suzuki is likely to require a rehab stint in the minors.
4. Kyle Hendricks and Julian Merryweather
There wasn’t quite as much to discuss on Hendricks and Merryweather, but there each had a small update.
Hendricks is reportedly trending towards a rehab start later this week (though nothing was finalized as of last night). And Merryweather will start throwing on Friday.
From where I stand, the Cubs can’t get Julian Merryweather back soon enough. Even with the rotation healing up and the bullpen finding some stability, Merryweather was expected to be one of the most critical arms in the pen. If he’s back, Craig Counsell can be much more selective in how he deploys Mark Leiter Jr., while pushing everyone else down a rung (I appreciate what Almonte has been doing lately, for example, but it would be nice to not rely on him in high-leverage moments).
As for Hendricks … I don’t know, man.
In a little over a week, the front-four of the rotation right could go: Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad. After that, there’s Hayden Wesneski, Ben Brown, and (maybe … hopefully not too long after) Jordan Wicks. And that’s not even mentioning Cade Horton, who, again, just got the bump to Triple-A this morning. Horton is not going to be in the Cubs rotation anytime SOON, but it’s really not crazy to think he’ll end up there by the end of the season. As of now, I’d like to see every single one of those guys in the rotation over the version of Hendricks we’ve gotten so far this year. But I really don’t know if that’s how the Cubs will play it.
