Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele will not make his scheduled start on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Craig Counsell told media at Wrigley Field after the game that Steele will be scratched from his start due to elbow soreness, and that Kyle Hendricks will get the start in the second game of the series against the Pirates.
The news comes at an inopportune time for the Cubs, who had a five-game winning streak snapped on Monday when they coughed up a three-run lead against the Pirates, falling to 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card hunt.
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Steele has made 22 starts this season for the Cubs, posting a 5-5 record with a 3.09 ERA. He has struck out 131 batters in 128 innings of work, with a WHIP of 1.09 on the season.
Steele has 16 strikeouts and four runs allowed in his last two starts, picking up back-to-back wins over the Tigers and Pirates in that time.
Hendricks meanwhile has been struggling in recent starts, including giving up six runs in 1.2 innings to the Pirate son Aug. 28. He had been moved back to the bullpen after that start, but will get the ball to kick off Tuesday’s game at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs meanwhile will face Paul Skenes, who allowed two earned runs and struck out six Cubs in his last start on Aug. 28. He has a 2.23 ERA on the season, with 136 strikeouts and an 8-2 record.
Chicago Cubs
First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. at the Friendly Confines.