Watch: Justin Steele Already Throwing Again

Craig Counsell said on Saturday that Justin Steele had suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and was expected to miss all of April, but the timeline may end up being a little more optimistic. Team trainers were going to wait to establish a rehab plan until Steele was walking without a limp, and it appears he’s already reached that point. As you can see in the below video from Jamie Baker, Steele was throwing on the field prior to Monday’s home opener.

Justin Steele out here throwing already. Dude will be back with no delays. pic.twitter.com/HqjyosKrVa

— jamie baker (@rljmb23) April 1, 2024

This is a pretty big deal because it comes just four days after Steele exited his Opening Day start when he made a play on a dribbler and came up lame. What’s more, the cold temps at Wrigley mean the trainers have to feel very confident in Steele’s progress. The lefty seemed to mouth something along the lines of it just being a cramp as he was lying on the turf in Arlington, so, while it’s apparently more severe than that, perhaps the issue is much more on the mild side of the spectrum.

I don’t share the optimism that Steele will only need a minimum stay on the IL, but making it back before the end of the month seems like a very real possibility.