Strop, Steele sent down after promising performances
Before Saturday's game, the Cubs returned relievers Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler to the active roster, while sending Pedro Strop and Justin Steele back to the South Bend alternate site.
Workman and Winkler were among four players sent home from Milwaukee earlier this week when bullpen coach Chris Young tested positive for COVID-19. All four are back on the major-league roster now.
At the same time, the Cubs have reason to be encouraged by the performances of Strop and Steele. Neither allowed an earned run in a combined 5⅓ innings of work.
Those pitchers are coming from opposite perspectives. Strop, 35, is a veteran who had a long run with the Cubs from 2013-19, and is back with the team after a year away. Steele, 26, made his major-league debut against Milwaukee on Monday.
"Justin's made some huge strides over when I first got here and watched him in spring training and commanding the fastball and the slider's been a real pitch," manager David Ross said. "He is going to continue to get his poise out there. We've thrown him into the fire here right away, in some real intense moments. He's had to come into an get his feet under him right away as a big-leaguer and I thought he's done a pretty good job.
"Then Stropy, he continues to be a guy I trust. Probably not the sharpest (Friday). A couple of his sliders were backing up. I think that last one he threw was more of an indication of the slider I feel like he has."
Steele came in with two runners on in his first appearance, then with the bases loaded and nobody out in his second trip to the mound in the big leagues.
In each of his two appearances this week, Strop allowed 2 baserunners, but got out of the inning with no damage.
"But somebody I trust. Somebody who handles the moment," Ross said of Strop. "Even when he doesn't have his good stuff, he's a guy that can get outs. I was impressed with both those guys. They've stayed sharp since spring training."
• Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls