Steele 'feeling really good' as results not yet following

CHICAGO -- Justin Steele did not have the most conventional start to the 2024 season. The Cubs’ ace went down with a left hamstring strain 4 2/3 innings into his outing on Opening Day and missed a little over five weeks as a result.

The lefty has made four starts since coming off the 15-day injured list earlier this month, and although his surface statistics aren’t in line with what he did last season, when he finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting, perhaps they don’t tell the whole story.

“I really think Justin's pitched better than his numbers, the lines would show,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday afternoon. “He's given up some home runs with men on base. You’re gonna get zinged by that.”

That analysis at least played out in Wednesday’s 9-2 loss to the Braves at Wrigley Field. Steele allowed five runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings, including a homer, with five strikeouts and one walk. Two of those runs came across after he exited during a six-run seventh inning for the Braves.

“Overall, I thought he pitched well,” Counsell said postgame. “Again, the line score I don’t think looks the way it should look. But he did well. He was out there for the seventh inning, which means you’re having a good start.

“The seventh inning got away from us a little bit.”

Steele was largely matching Max Fried on Wednesday as the Atlanta lefty carried a perfect game into the sixth inning. The Cubs' southpaw allowed a leadoff single in the third inning to Michael Harris II and then a two-run homer to Adam Duvall, which gave the Braves a 2-0 lead. Duvall’s homer came on a 92.1 mph four-seamer atop the strike zone that he went up and got to.

The home run ball has been a difference maker in Steele’s last few outings. He entered Wednesday with a 5.21 ERA in four starts, including five home runs allowed in 19 innings.

On May 11 against the Pirates, he allowed six runs in four innings, surrendering three homers. Pittsburgh had a four-run third inning in which they hit two long balls. Oneil Cruz’s solo homer that game came on an 83 mph slider up in the zone. He hit it a Statcast-projected 427 feet and generated a 114.1 mph exit velocity, and Steele noted it was a “bad pitch.”

Thursday against the Pirates, Steele allowed five runs (four earned) in 5 2/3 innings, including two long balls.

“I feel like I’m getting the four-seamer in on the righties, which I like to do,” Steele said. “They just do a good job of beating me there. You just kind of have to tip your cap, maybe throw a different pitch, different location. You just have to evaluate it, but I feel good about executing the pitch. Just gotta take positives from it.”

Even with that long ball, the Cubs only trailed 2-1 when Steele took the mound for the seventh inning. He allowed a leadoff double to Orlando Arcia, and with one out hit Duvall with a pitch.

With runners at the corners, Zack Short hit an RBI safety squeeze bunt that made it 3-1. Jose Cuas came on in relief and allowed a walk and sac fly before Marcell Ozuna’s three-run homer broke the game open. Ozuna fouled off four straight 1-2 offerings in the eight-pitch battle with Cuas.

“In the end, it was Ozuna having a great at-bat,” Counsell said of the seventh snowballing.

Wednesday marked Steele’s longest outing of the season, both by total pitches (93) and number of innings. His four-seamer averaged 92.7 mph; entering the start, he was averaging 92.2 mph this season, tied for a career best since 2022, his first full season in the starting rotation.

It’s something he can hang his hat on despite the recent results, and overall, he echoed Counsell’s analysis in feeling he’s pitched better than the final lines say.

“Especially going off the way I’ve been feeling, I would say the past two or three starts,” Steele said, “especially with my heater. My velo has kind of been at an all-time high as far as I've been starting in the big leagues.” “So that feels really good. I’m really happy with that.

“I feel like I'm executing at a pretty high level at this point. Feeling really good with where I'm at.”