MESA, Ariz. – Cubs lefty Justin Steele rejoined camp Saturday, after coming down with flu-like signs on Wednesday. As he walked into the clubhouse, teammates welcomed him again and he regaled them with the saga of his illness.
Steele is listed because the Cubs’ possible starter Tuesday towards the Brewers. He mentioned he’s scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday.
“Preserve progressing as if that begin was simply skipped,” he mentioned in a dialog with the Solar-Occasions.
Steele built up to about 55 pitches final week, earlier than he was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday. He expects he’ll shoot for 65 to 75 pitches in his final spring begin earlier than the Tokyo Sequence and feels snug with that pitch depend because the precursor to his first common season look on March 19.
“I don’t actually get affected by that type of stuff,” Steele mentioned. “I really feel like I might exit and throw 100 pitches proper now if I wanted to. It’s a type of issues, when you begin build up and get three innings underneath your belt, you type of really feel like you might do one other three.”
Steele began feeling signs Wednesday, the Cubs’ first off day of spring coaching, as he and his spouse have been on the best way house from a visit to the spa collectively.
“You realize that feeling you get proper earlier than you get sick – your physique begins getting achy, the whole lot’s tender, a lightweight headache,” he mentioned. “So I might type of really feel one thing approaching. After which that evening, it was tough crusing for me.”
Steele determined to spare most of the people from the small print.
“Individuals can use their imaginations,” he mentioned.
The subsequent day, Steele was nonetheless batting some signs, and neither he nor the Cubs needed to danger him getting his teammates sick. On Friday, he awakened with a little bit of headache and common soreness. However he felt adequate to go to the advanced to play catch after the group had left.
