Jed Hoyer says it would be unrealistic for Cubs to have Justin Steele starting in 2026

The Cubs’ rotation plans have taken another hit as team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer suggested it would be unrealistic to expect Justin Steele to be back in the starting rotation for the 2026 season. Steele, a left-hander, is recovering from left elbow surgery, and the club’s leadership is framing his development and return window as something that likely extends beyond this year.

In practical terms, the comment matters because the Cubs’ 2026 plan has already been complicated by a number of starting pitching injuries. With starters down and innings up for grabs, the team has been forced to improvise depth and workload, and any delay for a major rotation piece changes the math for how Chicago can stabilize its top of the staff.

Hoyer’s view also clarifies what the Cubs are prioritizing as Steele moves through his recovery. Rather than treating the comeback as a sprint, the organization appears to be taking a cautious approach aimed at getting him stretched out and ready to begin games at full capacity. That distinction is central to why the team is lowering expectations for a 2026 return to the role he would be expected to fill.

Steele’s status places additional pressure on the Cubs’ broader pitching group, particularly the candidates who can absorb the sudden need for longer stretches in the rotation. In rebuilding a rotation around whoever is available, a club can shuffle roles and consider open spots more often, but it also risks exposing younger or less-established arms to heavier use than they would face in a healthier year.

There is also a roster-construction element to the timeline. When a key starter is expected to return only in the next season window, the Cubs typically need to decide how much they lean on internal depth versus whether they seek more immediate help. Even without discussing specific transactions, a late return changes priorities for the staff’s short-term balance, bullpen leverage, and how the organization thinks about the next planning cycle.

For Cubs fans, the most direct takeaway is that the path back for Steele is not being presented as a routine activation. The expectation from the front office, as reported, is that the timing for him to start games likely falls outside 2026. That shifts attention to what the club can produce with its current options and how it manages innings and matchups in the interim.

What to watch next is how the Cubs handle the rotation from a workload-management standpoint while Steele continues his recovery. If the organization maintains this cautious stance, Steele’s progress will become a late-season storyline and an early 2027-building block, while Chicago’s immediate concerns will likely remain concentrated on keeping the staff durable enough to compete despite ongoing injury volatility.