Palencia goes from ‘bad body language’ to 15-day injured list

During the ninth inning of Monday's win over Colorado, Cubs manager Craig Counsell went to the mound with the trainer to check on reliever Daniel Palencia.

The three talked it over and Counsell decided to leave Palencia in the game. He finished the inning and the Cubs scored twice in the bottom of the ninth.

On Tuesday, though, Palencia went on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. This is his second time on the IL this season. He was out from April 14 to May 3 with a lat injury.

“Coming out of the Colorado game (last) Wednesday, he didn't feel great,” Counsell said. “We had four days off between outings. He recovered great, felt good going into last night.

“I was just concerned about the body language (in the ninth inning), it wasn't normal. He said he was fine, but then he had symptoms afterward. The elbow didn't feel great afterward and didn't feel good today.”

Counsell said he didn't think taking Palencia out during that visit to the mound would have made any difference. The Cubs brought back right-hander Gavin Hollowell from Iowa to take his place.

Steele returns

Justin Steele was back in the Wrigley Field clubhouse Tuesday, happy to be surrounded by teammates again and anxious to get back on the pitching mound.

After Tommy John surgery last year, Steele was making good progress in the spring, then had a setback and took six weeks of rest. Now he's doing plyo ball exercises, and plans to start throwing again next week.

“I was pretty close to getting to a rehab assignment and then had to hit the brakes,” Steele said. “The tough part is in the bullpens and lives, I was sitting at the velocities I want to sit at, I was executing the pitches. Afterward doing the shoulder work and stuff, I was laboring through it.”

So after an MRI, Steele had a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection and said everything seems to be healing well. His goal is to pitch in games at some point this season.

“I'm going to pitch in games, I'm going to come back and compete,” Steele said. “That's the point-blank bottom line. That's going to happen.”

Cycling facts

Some historic factoids from Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting for the cycle on Monday:

Crow-Armstrong had the first Cubs cycle since Carson Kelly last year in Sacramento; and the first by a Cubs left-handed hitter since Mark Grace in 1993.

PCA is the first Cub to hit for the cycle in his first 4 plate appearances since Andre Dawson in 1987. He's the first Cub to start a cycle with a leadoff home run since Ivan DeJesus in 1980.

He's the first Cubs player under 25 to hit for the cycle since Randy Hundley in 1966. He's the only Cub to complete a reverse cycle — home run, triple, double, single.