CINCINNATI -- Cubs left-hander had his fourth rehab game for Triple-A Iowa on Friday night and was at his best, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out five batters (and allowing just one walk) during a 2-1 victory over Omaha.

Steele then flew back to Chicago and is expected to meet with the Cubs on Tuesday to determine what’s next for him. One option is putting Steele on the taxi squad, which allows him to travel with the Major League squad but not be put on the active roster.

“We will have discussions [with him],” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Obviously, he can’t pitch for a couple of days. We will certainly see what we think going into the last week. There are a lot of things that factor into it, and we have to consider all those things and then make a decision.”  

Steele hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since April 7, 2025, when he threw seven shutout innings against the Rangers. By the end of the month, Steele had season-ending left elbow surgery.