Latest / North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast / The latest on Cubs pitchers Daniel Palencia, Edward Cabrera and Justin Steele

Transcript

The latest on Cubs pitchers Daniel Palencia, Edward Cabrera and Justin Steele · North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Welcome into Northside Territory. Foul Territory Networks Cubs Podcast. I'm
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Sahadev Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney. We are your
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic Patrick, I feel
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: like we have done this episode far too often this season.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: I'm sure Jed Hoyer feels similarly. But it is going
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: to be an episode about injuries, updates, recent injuries. But
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: they just keep coming, They're not stopping. Daniel Palencia is
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: not even the latest actually, because.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: We'll get to the other one.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: But before Tuesday's game, right, I have the days right yet?
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Before Tuesday's game, we find out Daniel Palencia is headed
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: to the IL. I'm remembering this right. It's his second
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: IL stint, Yes, his second eyel stint of the season.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: It like just this is like just a mess right now?
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: What's going on with this team injury wise? Especially with
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: the pictures? Why don't you tell us what the situation
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: is with Palencia their closer headed to the eyel.
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: So Monday night, Palencia goes out there in the ninth
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: inning and during that sequence, Cubs manager Craig Council and
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: athletic trainer go out there. Usually when that happens. The
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: picture is walking off the mound shortly thereafter, Palencia apparently
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: lobby to stay in. I had kind of noted that
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: and was going to ask about that postgame, but like
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: with Peek Armstrong cycle and just how long some of
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: these postgame sessions are.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: It, I did not ask it.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: I should have, but I also felt like the answer
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: was going to be, look, he's struck out three guys,
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: we'll see how he feels. He wanted to stay in
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: there and apparently his elbow did not feel well afterwards
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: or bouncing back the next day, Council explain that coming
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: out of Polencia's last outing at Corsfield, he had been
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: kind of feeling something then, but he got.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Four days off they and he was throwing.
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: I think he hit he exceeded one hundred miles an
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: hour in the ninth inning, like his first first battery
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: faced after that layoff, and he was still hitting ninety
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: nine in each at bat.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: Obviously, you know that's where he's supposed to be.
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: I'm not saying that like all the metrics were perfect,
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: but like in terms of a capable major league pitcher,
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: he certainly looked like one.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: And as of Tuesday. Clubs are not going to get
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: an MRI on Palencia.
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: They're going to kind of treat it for a couple
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: of days see how this inflammation sorts itself out or not.
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: But there's no timeline. And I think the thing that
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: you know, I asked Jed Hoyer about because it's really
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: kind of stuck with me because I was during one
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: of my turns at spring training of you know, Venezuela
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: is Team Venezuela is lobbying the Cubs and other teams
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: to be able to use their relievers to full effect
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: in the final rounds of the WBC, and the Cubs
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: sort of agreed, like, if you're going to do this,
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: it has to be in the right scenario, meaning that
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: kind of once in a lifetime opportunity perhaps to to
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: win a WBC. Plancia closes out Team USA. That was
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: three saves in four days, including beating Shoheo Tani in
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: a matchup there against Japan, and so that's not ideal.
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: Jed Hoyer acknowledged it. He's we'll never be able to
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: prove that one way or the other. We don't know,
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: but this is the WBC stuff. Is a team officials
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: sort of hate it, like they get why why baseball
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: does it? Think it's a great event. It's fun to watch,
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: but if you're on the team side, it's just very uncomfortable.
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: And that's what you always wonder if a guy who
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: doesn't start well, if he gets injured shortly thereafter. Plancy
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: had the oblique issue in April on the aisle again.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: Now with the elbow, I guess the one thing you
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: can sort of point two is that Palencia does seem
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: to bounce back pretty well. Maybe that won't last forever,
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: but that oblique issue earlier this season, he really hit
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: if not surpassed, that optimistic timeline they had for his return.
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: And going back to the end of last season, him
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: walking off the mound, you think, like, is this guy
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: having major elbow surgery or sorry, shoulder surgery and he
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: gets back in time to become just this huge force
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: in the playoffs. So council agreed, like that is useful information.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: It doesn't determine how they're going to proceed. But like
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: at this point, the Cup seemed to be I don't know,
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: both vague and relatively optimistic at the same time.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you're right, Like the he does seem to come
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: back from these injuries quickly or beat expectations. You're just
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: always waiting for, like when the next shoe to drop? Right, Like, what,
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: how bad is this next one? When is the really
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: bad one going to come? That's just kind of how
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: it feels sometimes, especially when when you have a hard
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: throwing reliever. This is often what happens. They get injured
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: and things pile up and eventually the big one comes.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: But that doesn't seem to be the case as of yet.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: We'll see how long he actually is on the shelf
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: if it is a minimum stay just to get whatever
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: the irritation cleared up. If they're not getting an MRI
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: as of yet, that's probably the best scenario Cubs fans
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: can hope for when someone goes on the eel for
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: an elbow injury, no MRI. Will see if that changes
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: in the next few days or weeks. It's kind of
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: remarkable the type of season that he's had. You know,
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: this team was red hot at one point, obviously struggling
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: to get consistent wins right now, but three opportunities for
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: saves all season long is kind of mind boggling. We're
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: in what like the middle of June right now. And
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: this is not a last place team or something like that,
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: or a team twenty games under five hundred or anything
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: like that. They you know, they're above five hundred. I
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: understand the Cubs are struggling, but three save chances is
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: kind of wild for Daniel Palencia. So maybe, I mean,
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: I do think that the bullpen, we said, like the
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: bullpen is you know, kind of being held together, you know,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: with with like gum and whatnot. It's like barely being together.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: Tam.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know how how they're gonna look getting
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: through this. They probably have bigger concerns at the moment,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: just waiting for the offense to wake up. But yeah,
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: it's an odd situation. It's not ideal. But there's more.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: That's not the only thing that's going on. Let's take
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: a quick break and talk about some more of what's
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: going on with this team. All right, it is summertime,
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: and if you are ready to go watch the Cubs,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: whether it's next weekend over at amfam Field, watch them
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: against the Brewers and see if they can get back
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: in this division race or against San Diego when they
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: get back home after this home stand. You are going
• 8:44
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• 9:45
  Speaker 1: it later. Thank you, see Geek Patrick. It is not
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: as simple as just one injury. Of course, this this
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: rotation is in tatters I'm not even sure how how
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: you can really feel like they're going to get through
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: this season. Uh, there's there's very few triple A options left.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: I don't think there are. I mean, I guess there's
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: Jordan Wicks. That's the only real triple A option left.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: But Edward Cabrera walking off the mound yet again. Maybe
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: it's not the end of the world type injury. But
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: hand cramps, I believe is what we we were told, Uh,
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: tell us about the scene at Wrigley and and what
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: you what you gathered after the game.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: Right now, it's just a cram as far as they
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: can tell. But they're gonna have to wait and see
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: if he's going to make his next start.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: And so.
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: You know, if you web MD this one sometimes which
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: I would not recommend, but you know, cramping can sometimes
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: indicate a more serious concern for a pitcher. At this point,
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: the Cubs are not going there. Council said it. You know,
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: the best they can tell according to the tests that
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: they've run, it is just cramping. Now, Cabrera, through an interpreter,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: really was not all that enlightening or forthcoming in terms
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: of what happened. He said dehydration was not the explanation
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: he was given by the training staff. He said he's
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: never had something like this before. He said he was
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: optimistic that he'll be pitching again in five days. But
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: you know, he basically said the same thing when he
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: left an earlier start with a blister and obviously wound
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: up going on the injured list when that occurred. So
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: you know, really just you we're almost halfway through this
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: season now, and Edward Cabrera has just been you know,
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: frankly a big disappointment that, you know, the Cubs thought
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: they could unlock something here, that he was very, very
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: talented and had shown flashes and that you know, in
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: this situation, and you know, as he grew into his career,
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: he could be a potential top of the rotation starter,
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: and it's just not happened at all. In terms of impact,
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: in terms of volume, in terms of consistency, there's none
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: of that has been there. And I think you're kind
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: of alluding to this earlier, like you wonder, like if
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: this offense does sort of wake up at some point
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: or a couple more guys get rolling, Like, are the
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: Cubs just gonna wind up losing games eight seven instead
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: of three to two.
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's the main concern for this team.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: It feels like at some point this offense will get going.
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: You know, we could obviously have a much longer discussion
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: about this offense, and I think Alex Bregman in particular,
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: is someone like, is this not gonna turn? But this
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: happens over the course of seasons with talented players, and
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: things do turn. Sometimes it just looks like it never will.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: Pregnant is not the only one I could talk about.
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: Nico Horner, Dance by Swanson. It's a long list, but
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: that's not what we're talking about right now, because I
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: do feel like at some point that offense will wake up,
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: and then it's like, do they have the pitching to
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: get through this season? It's not even do they have
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: the pitching to compete right now? How do they get
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: through the season if care has to go on the
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: shelf that you're calling Is it Jordan Wicks that you're
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: calling back up? Are you? Are you bulking up the
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: bullpen and and doing bullpen games every fifth day which
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: is going to tax the bullpen and impact your team
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: the other four games? And Jordan Wicks isn't isn't doing well?
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: Like he's I'm not sure if he's a viable option
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: right now. He's not performing well at the major league
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: level or the minor league level. It's it's a concern
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: right now. I honestly can't think of who else you
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: would go to. Uh, starter wise, maybe there's someone at
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: Triple A, but even Triple A has had injuries. This
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: is a this is a rough situation. It it is
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: not an elbow, it is not a shoulder. Uh, the
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: stuff is back, this is his that this was his
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: third start, and he's throwing much harder, but it's kind
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: of the same problems that he had when he was
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: with Miami. The command isn't good enough, and you know,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: he'll suddenly start walking guys, and then when he's in
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: the zone. The fastball in particular, I think the home
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: run yesterday was off a curve ball, but but the
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: fastball in particular just gets hit hard, Like line drives
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: all over the place with the fastball when he just
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: leaves it over the plate and it's very hittable. You're right,
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: this is not This has not been living up to
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: expectations as far as what the Cubs kind of were.
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: You know, they they've made it clear they've wanted this
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: guy for a while. We've reported for over a year
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: that they've had their eyes on Edward Cabrera. They saw
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: something in him, and whatever they hope to unlock has
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: not fully been locked unlocked, whether it's health or just performance,
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: like he's been restricted and not been able to live
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: up to expectations. They needed stuff in this rotation. They
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: needed swing and miss in this rotation. He's not given
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: them enough of that. It's hard. I mean, it's two
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: and a half months in of three years, right, is
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: what he had left on his deal when they acquired him.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: Two and a half months in, it hasn't been close
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: to good enough. And you wrote this, Look the players
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: they gave up, they're not like some big like Owen
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Casey is really struggling at the major league level right now,
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: and the other two minor leaguers may not be anything impactful.
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: But it's the value of that, Like, what did you
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: get for Owen Casey, a top one hundred prospect that
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: has value, that had value on the trade market. Did
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: you get an impactful player? We're not sure yet that that.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: So far that has not been the case.
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah, there's only so many ways you can improve a
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: team that wins a playoffund and like they targeted iously,
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: like they cast a very wide net and they wound
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: up with Cabrera and maybe he winds up.
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: Being really good.
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: Uh, it just hasn't happened yet. And the cub sort
• 17:18
  Speaker 3: of knew there was this ticking clock when you look
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: at his injury history in particular and just generally pitchers
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: who have his kind of profile, Like they wanted the
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: swinging miss, they wanted the power, they wanted the explosiveness,
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: and when you chase those things, you usually increase the
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: rate of injury. And so thus far, to this point,
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: he hasn't had that major arm injury, but he's already
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: been on the injury list with the blister. We'll see
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: what happens with this cramping sensation he felt.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: In his right hand. And you know, you.
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: The Cubs looked at say three years of club control
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: and thought, well, if something happened, we'd be able to
• 18:08
  Speaker 3: kind of make it up on the on the back end,
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: Like they weren't penciling him in for like you know,
• 18:14
  Speaker 3: thirty three starts every single year. But yeah, they just
• 18:21
  Speaker 3: can't can't afford him being a guy with like a
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: five v R A negative war performer, like not when
• 18:30
  Speaker 3: you got essentially nothing from Kate Horton, you know, as
• 18:33
  Speaker 3: he recovers from major surgery, when Matthew Boyd is still
• 18:38
  Speaker 3: stuck on.
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: Is it like twenty four innings this year?
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: I forget what it is a very small amount, you
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: know in terms of his contributions. James and Tyn not
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: back until after the All Star break, and obviously we'll
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: we'll get into Justin Steele in the next segment, but
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: you know, adding all of this up, like they they've
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: they've shift, They've miscalculated on Cabrera and he's gonna your
• 19:05
  Speaker 3: council says, it takes the whole roster. He's not into names,
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: but like need him to do more period.
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, twenty four innings for Boyd and like you said,
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: zero innings for Justin Steele. Well, let's take a quick
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: break and get an update on him.
• 19:25
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So in an ideal world, we'd be what it
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: would have a handful of Justin Steele starts already in
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: this season, and he'd be man, could this rotation use him?
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: After what we've just talked about. There is no depth
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: there is. There are too many injuries and Justin Steele
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: obviously not back in time back you know when they
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: optimistically hoped he would be setback in April, has his
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: you know shut down, but he is back at Wrigley.
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: He got to talk to him in person. Patrick, what
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: are the vibes there and what's the realistic X expectations
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: for a return in twenty twenty six.
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: Well, Steele is optimistic, you know him. He desperately wants
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: to get back out there. And you know he'll be
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: around the team for roughly the next three weeks so
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: they can get a better feel for the situation, they
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: can track his progress and begin to you know, map
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: out what a more comprehensive ramp up program will look
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: like for him. He's in the sort of like throwing
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: plioball stage right now, and you know Monday has been
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: targeted as the moment when he can resume a true
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: throwing program.
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: Now that will have been about.
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: Two months since he lasts through a baseball and so
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: you know, he made the point that it's not like
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: he's building up his arm after surgery, so that he
• 22:16
  Speaker 3: doesn't anticipate it being you know, quite as long. But
• 22:22
  Speaker 3: still he acknowledged the calendar is an issue, and so
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: you have I think the way counsel framed it was
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: Steel has runway but can't really afford a setback or
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: you know, multiple setbacks at this point. And I think
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: Jed Hoyer used the word hopeful while saying that, like
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: optimistic is probably too strong a word to use to describe,
• 22:52
  Speaker 3: you know, his outlook for Steele. Steele was insistent he
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: is going to pitch again this year, that you know,
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: he is someone who has one more year in the
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: arbitration system, can become a free agent after the twenty
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: twenty seventh season, but that you know, his focus is
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: on pitching meaningful games for the Cubs and being built
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: up as a starter this year.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, that's that's it's great to have those hopes,
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: Like I just don't know. I hear that and and
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: I think, okay, so everything has to go perfectly from
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: now now it's time that like it just has nothing's
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: gone smoothly with this so to expect that he can
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: help this team and it would be mid August, I think,
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: you know, if if everything goes right, that's it's just
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: really hard to see it happening. But he's got I
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: understand him having an optimistic view. He has to, like
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: that's the mindset you take when you're rehabbing. Everything that
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: I've heard from pitchers, especially when they're rehabbing, it's a
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: very you know, lonely and and kind of dark time.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: You're you're so used to competing and being with your teammates,
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: being out there, and then suddenly you're like off on
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: this island in rehab world in Arizona, not getting in games,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: working with different coaches, away from your team. It's just
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: a it's it's not an easy situation. So mentally going
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: to a darker place isn't isn't helpful. He's got to
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: stay he's got to stay positive. It sounds like both
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: jed And and Craig council are are a little bit
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: more you know. I don't know in the realistic viewpoint
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: of like, hey, yes, there there is a possibility here,
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: there are there are chances that he could help this team.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: It just everything has to go right from here. You
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: can't have any hiccups. The slightest thing we'll throw everything
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: off and then it's just about how do you get
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: him back in there and how many innings can he
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: give you a game. I guess we'll see where that goes.
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: Monday will be the first step in this process. I
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: guess as far as actually getting a ball in his
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: hand and throwing again. I feel bad for the guy
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: because he, you know, obviously a very talented pitcher, and
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: it's been what has it been now, sixteen months since
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: the surgery, So it's just been a slower process than
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: I think any of us really expected.
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think if that timeline of later the summer
• 25:48
  Speaker 3: does transpire, it'll be about sixteen months. I mean, And
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: that's what you're getting at, is like he hasn't pitched
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: in a major league game since April twenty twenty five.
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: So thinking you just plug him in and he's like
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: instantly in All Star Cy Young Award contender form is
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: just not realistic, and so having him come back would
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: be a huge boost. I just think the Cubs are
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: not at a point where they're thinking Justin Steele is
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: going to save our season, nor should they. But look,
• 26:28
  Speaker 3: I mean, Justin Steele, you know, really, I think showed
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: us a lot when he broke had that breakout season,
• 26:37
  Speaker 3: and just how how diligent he.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: Was, how patient he was, you know.
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: Really willing himself into being that frontline starter of the
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: Cubs had been seeking.
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: It took him a long time.
• 26:54
  Speaker 3: I mean, while he was drafted in twenty fourteen, he's
• 26:57
  Speaker 3: still around in the organization, which is kind of amazing
• 27:02
  Speaker 3: in and of itself. And so, yeah, I think yesterday
• 27:05
  Speaker 3: was sort of the like, Okay, here's where we're at
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: right now. I don't think he had spoken much, if
• 27:11
  Speaker 3: at all, since he was diagnosed with that flexer strain
• 27:16
  Speaker 3: in April, and so just getting his thoughts, seeing him
• 27:21
  Speaker 3: back around the team was instructive. And then we just
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: have to wait and see how this goes.
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned how like it. I can't expect him
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: to be like this cy young caliber guy in an
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: ideal world. That's what June and July like. You don't want,
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: you know, you don't want to use it at you
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: don't want to use major league starts as you know,
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: rehab essentially, But it would have been an opportunity for
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: him to kind of get his rhythm and then down
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: the stretch when they're competing, you know, hopefully for the
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: division or whatever it may have been, he's hitting his
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: stride and rarely finding his best self. Now he doesn't
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: really have that runway anymore. When he goes it'll be
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: go time when if and when he's ready, it'll be
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: go time for the team in general, so just an
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: unfortunate set of circumstances for him. This does feel like
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: one of those seasons where just everything is going wrong
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: with the pitching and the team in general. A lot
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: of things going wrong. Obviously, kind of just muddling through
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: a season after such a promising start to the season.
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: We'll see where it goes.
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: We'll see if they can get on a roll. I
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: think it's important to note that, you know, like the
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: Phillies were left for dead a month ago and now
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: they're seven games over five hundred. There are so many
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: teams that like, all you need really is if they
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: can get one more hot stretch and then kind of
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: be five hundred again, then that gets them into the playoffs.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: But the division is certain slipping away at eight games
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: behind the Brewers, who just never seemed to slow down,
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: never seem to have these extended slumps. And it doesn't
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: matter who gets hurt or who they lose. This team
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: it's just a caliber above everyone, including the Cubs. It
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: seems like they're just not at the same level. It's
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: proven over and over again year after year. We'll see
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: if they can change the narrative, but right now it
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: does feel like a very negative space around the Cubs.
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: All right, we will be back with a couple more
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: episodes this week. We'll make sure to talk all things cubs.
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. This is Northside Territory. Make
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: sure to rate, review, subscribe, subscribe to the YouTube channel,
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: and subscribe to The Athletic where Patrick and I are
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: on top of all things Cubs. Thanks for listening and watching.
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: Everyone take care.
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: And then on the way they the lead