Cubs expect Steele will return to mound Monday
The Cubs are expecting pitcher Justin Steele to come off the injured list and return to the mound Monday against San Diego.
Steele has been out since Opening Day in Texas, when he suffered a left hamstring strain while fielding a groundball in the fifth inning. He threw 63 pitches in a rehab outing with Iowa on Wednesday and is scheduled for a bullpen session Saturday at Wrigley Field.
“I think we're optimistic he'll be the starter on Monday,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We've missed him for a month and it'll be good to get him back going.”
This would be a welcome step for the Cubs, who managed a 19-13 start to the season without their No. 1 starter. Kyle Hendricks (sore back), meanwhile, tossed 5 scoreless innings in a rehab outing at Double A Tennessee on Thursday.
Hendricks came back out for the sixth inning, gave up 2 singles and left the game. Both runners eventually scored, so he officially allowed 2 earned run in 5 innings.
“Encouraging how he felt, the results were encouraging,” Counsell said of Hendricks. “He will make another start in Iowa on Tuesday and we'll go from there.”
A third starter, Jordan Wicks, remains on the IL with a left forearm strain. As pitchers begin to get healthy, Counsell didn't want to commit to a role for rookie Ben Brown, who has posted a 2.42 ERA since a rough first outing in Texas on March 30.
“What we know is Ben's getting hitters out, we need Ben to pitch big-league innings and he has earned that,” Counsell said. “So that's going to continue.”
Friendly competitors:
Brewers manager Pat Murphy spent eight seasons as Craig Counsell's bench coach in Milwaukee. Now they're competing against each other, at least they will be starting Saturday. Murphy served the second leg of a two-game suspension Friday.
“It's funny, Pat and I, we don't talk that much anymore,” Counsell said before the game. “When you think about it, it's because as a manager, the thing that consumes you all the time is your team and making your team better. Pat and I just aren't going to have that conversation right now.
“The competition is fun. It's fun trying to beat the other guy. That's kind of what we're wired to do.”
Around the horn:
Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga was named NL rookie of the month for April. … Seiya Suzuki (oblique strain) took batting practice before Friday's game and could be ready for a rehab assignment soon. … Brewers star Christian Yelich is on the injured list with a low back strain. He's hoping to return soon, but it probably won't be this weekend.
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports