Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele will not make his scheduled start Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Craig Counsell told the 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 inconvenient time for the Cubs, who snapped a five-game winning streak 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 chase.
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 1.09 WHIP 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 span.
Hendricks, meanwhile, has struggled in recent starts, including giving up six runs in 1.2 innings to the Pirate son on Aug. 28. He had been moved back to the bullpen after that start, but will get the ball rolling in 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.
First pitch is set for 18:40 at Friendly Confines.