The Cubs are currently in Arizona to face the Diamondbacks, which means several injured pitchers currently rehabbing in Mesa have had the opportunity to be in the dugout with their teammates! Cade Horton, Justin Steele, and Ben Brown were all seen in the dugout at Chase Field Monday night, as the Cubs throttled the Diamondbacks in a 7-0 victory.
It’s just so nice to see (and so crazy to think about what a different team this would be if all three were healthy right now).
Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Ben Brown in the dugout. Maybe this time next month two of them have their jerseys on ready to go. pic.twitter.com/WOnpIM4STR
— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) August 25, 2026Horton, of course, will remain out until at least the second half of next season due to Tommy John surgery. But Steele and Brown are getting healthier, with very positive updates on each. Let’s get right to it.
Justin Steele
Justin Steele hasn’t thrown in a major league game since April 7, 2025, which was 505 days ago. An eternity. After undergoing elbow surgery in April of last year, Steele encountered a setback due to a flexor strain earlier this season, which delayed his recovery even further.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic published a piece on Tuesday morning providing Cubs fans with much-needed hope about the potential return of their former ace. It’s undoubtedly the most positive news we’ve received on Steele’s recovery thus far.
Justin Steele “absolutely” expects to pitch for the Chicago Cubs this year, a growing possibility as he continues to make progress at the organization’s Arizona complex. An All-Star starting pitcher in 2023, Steele is ramping up as a lefty reliever in the hopes of having an impact on a club with World Series aspirations.
If Steele is indeed able to return this year, it won’t be in a starting role. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Monday that “He rightfully should be at a place where that is what his head should be on, but we have a lot of steps to go before we get there.”
He’s right, and we shouldn’t get our hopes up just yet, but things are trending in a positive direction. Taylor McGregor reported during last night’s game that if Steele’s next two bullpens go well, he’ll head out on a rehab assignment. He threw today, which we’ll likely hear about from Counsell before tonight’s game.
Cubs pitcher @J_Steele21 in his second session of live BP at Sloan Park this morning. Justin did do an up-down session today – pitch, sit down on bench, then pitch again. @WatchMarquee @BleacherNation @CHGO_Cubs @crawlyscubs #Cubs pic.twitter.com/tHrJu0STe9
— Rich Biesterfeld (@biest22) August 25, 2026If Steele is truly able to return this season, the question becomes where he fits on the roster, and more importantly, in the bullpen. As the Cubs look to compete for a World Series Championship, Counsell needs the best possible arms at his disposal come October. Can he make an impact in a crowded bullpen that’s going to get even more crowded with the inevitable returns of Brown and Hoby Milner? It’s possible, but there is still a way to go before we reach that point.
Ben Brown
Ben Brown was one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy, but he’s been on the injured list since June 24, just over two months ago. He transitioned from the bullpen to a starting role during the early part of this year, but it’s likely he moves back to the bullpen once he returns to the major league roster.
Throughout his time with the Cubs, it’s been said that Brown could be a weapon out of the bullpen. We saw that to open up the season, as he allowed just six earned runs across 25.2 innings as a reliever. He flourished in the starting rotation as well, but it’s unknown if the Cubs want to stretch him back into a starter with so little time left in the season. It feels much more likely that he’ll be an arm out of the bullpen that can give the Cubs multiple innings if needed.
McGregor also reported during yesterday’s game that if Brown’s bullpen went well, he’d head out on a rehab assignment. He threw at Sloan Park this morning, and things look to have gone to plan, which is great news.
Cubs pitcher Ben Brown back in game action in the Bridge Camp game at Sloan Park. He had 2K’s, a broken bat groundout and infield groundout in the 1st inning. (They had him face an extra batter.) @WatchMarquee @BleacherNation @CHGO_Cubs @crawlyscubs #Cubs pic.twitter.com/AKZ5YjYt6G
— Rich Biesterfeld (@biest22) August 25, 2026We’ll wait for an official report from Counsell on Brown’s destination, but it sure looks like he’ll be headed to a minor league affiliate rather soon, putting him one step closer to returning to Chicago.
If all goes according to plan, there’s a very real world in which both Steele and Brown help the Cubs in the playoffs. That kind of bullpen depth could be the difference-maker, especially in a short series like the Wild Card.
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