Justin Steele knows how the process goes.
The Chicago Cubs’ left-hander had Tommy John surgery in 2017. After undergoing season-ending surgery April 18 to repair his flexor tendon and ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) with an internal brace procedure, this second recovery period has been much smoother for Steele.
Back around the team for the first time since his procedure, with his left arm encased in a black brace, Steele said Tuesday he is in a good spot and expects to pick up a baseball in six months. Although he hasn’t been given, or asked for, a timeline for when he could be back on the mound for the Cubs, the surgery typically has a 13- to 15-month window for a full recovery for pitchers.
Steele noted his range of motion has come back quicker than post-surgery eight years ago.
“Anytime you get an MRI, you’re kind of crossing your fingers just hoping it comes back clean, and once I saw some stuff getting a little bit worse from the last few times I’ve gotten an image of it, it made sense to go in there and figure out what it was,” Steele said. “It was the best-case scenario, as far as it just being a repair of everything that was going on in there. … I’m in a good spot.
“I mean, obviously it sucks, but as soon as you find out the news, you just start processing it, trying to figure out what the next steps are, what’s the best plan of action for me and my family and the team and everything. We’re in a good spot, just taking it day by day, just trying to conquer each day, as far as (physical therapy) and stuff goes, and one day at a time, and eventually we’ll hit the end of the tunnel.”
As much as Steele wanted to keep pitching since, as he put it, he was still “somewhat to the capability I was liking,” in the big picture, it made sense to go through with the surgery as soon as possible. Steele, 29, hopes to be around the team as much as possible in the coming months, aiming to return to Wrigley Field every other homestand. He has stayed tuned into the Cubs’ games, even he and his wife, Libby, with their son, Beau, plan their days around the first pitch.
“I remember the first time I was going through (Tommy John surgery), I was, like, ‘Am I going to throw the same? Is the ball going to come out different?’ Like, there’s so many thoughts that are running through your mind,” Steele said. “And with this one, I can tell already it’s going to be the same when I get back. If anything, it’s going to be better, so you’re just kind of in a different state of mind.”
