The Rundown: Steele Downplays Early Return Possibility, Spring Breakout Becoming Tourney, Cards Try Gimmick to Increase Attendance

It’s pretty cool when it’s in the 60s and sunny one day and then you get a few inches of snow the next, just before it’s going to get as high as 70 a few days later. My son’s school had a two-hour delay this morning, but all the snow will be gone by tomorrow. I’m hesitant to get too optimistic about spring being around the corner, and now I’m starting to feel the same way about Justin Steele.

Everything was pointing toward the lefty being ready to go by early May, particularly with the Cubs choosing to DFA Ben Cowles rather than place Steele on the 60-day IL to open a roster spot for Shelby Miller. Cowles is back with the organization once again now that Miller has been placed on the 60-day for the rest of the season as he rehabs his reconstructed elbow, but Steele is in limbo.

He was fully cleared by his surgeon last week to resume full baseball activities, which, along with not being on the extended IL, would seem to indicate he could be back before long. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, however, Steele seemed to throw a little cold water on the notion of an April return. Even May could be in doubt.

“As far as doctor’s orders, he’s cleared me to…full-go as far as baseball activities, no restrictions,” Steele explained. “I mean, I would still be sticking to the same timeline that we’ve kinda been saying — May, June-ish. And all of this is with the thought in mind that the outings in October and November are gonna be the ones that matter the most. So I would say keep that in mind as we’re talking and thinking about this.”

It’s the last line that has me rethinking things a little, though this is also a case of not wanting to tip the team’s hand. Not that there’s much to obscure if Steele could return to action in early May or even April, but there are factors involved here beyond just his health and performance.

Discretion is indeed the better part of valor, and even internal brace recovery should be treated conservatively for someone with Steele’s injury history. That said, I find it very odd that the Cubs would choose to waste that 40-man roster spot if he’s indeed going to be out until at least late May. While Cowles and other fringe guys aren’t going to make or break the season, just having a little more depth in the meantime makes too much sense.

Maybe they’re just waiting to see who wins the battle for the final bench spot, and whether they want to carry two of Michael Conforto, Dylan Carlson, and Chas McCormick. I can’t think of a more underwhelming personnel choice, though it appears to be a near certainty that one of them will make it. That spot can easily be created by moving Tyler Austin to the 60-day following knee surgery that will keep him out for months, if not the whole season.

In the event that they do end up needing two 40-man spots, it’s entirely possible that Cowles will be DFA’d again. I just can’t see carrying two more outfield/DH-only veterans when Matt Shaw is going to see time out there and Kevin Alcántara exists. Whatever happens, the Cubs are likely to wait as long as possible to make any permanent decisions. They have until Opening Day on March 26 to shelve Steele for 60 days before forcing his return past May 26, so there’s no real hurry.

What do y’all think? Is this a matter of trying to keep the rest of the league guessing a little, or will Steele really be out until June?

More News and Notes

• I was summoned for jury duty this morning and was selected to serve, hence the abbreviated format.
• Rather than foot the bill for their own game production, Marquee is carrying the Reds’ broadcast of today’s game.
• MLB introduced Spring Breakout games last year and got enough positive feedback from fans and teams alike that the prospect showcases are moving to a tournament format in 2027. Provided we even have spring training next year, that is. In the new single-elimination format, Spring Breakout champs will be crowned in both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.
• Remember when the Cardinals used to crow about having the most consecutive home sellouts in MLB? Like a balding man with a bad combover, they tried valiantly to protect that obvious ruse despite all the empty seats visible on broadcasts. Then came last season, when Busch Stadium averaged just 66% capacity.
• That meant the Cards had 29,444 fans at each game, a drop of nearly 8,000 from the 2024 season. That 20.5% decrease in attendance was the second-largest in MLB to the Rays, whose 38% dip was a direct result of having to play in a minor league park after Tropicana Field was destroyed by Hurricane Milton.
• In a move that I’m sure is purely based on fan service and is not at all related to their struggles to put butts in seats, the Cardinals are introducing ticket packages starting at $29 that include bottomless pop, hot dogs, chicken tenders, bratwurst, nachos, fries, popcorn, peanuts, chips, and ice cream. I don’t know if you’ve been to a ballpark in the last 20 years, but you aren’t getting even one of everything on that list for less than $50. Even with the wildly egregious margins on concessions, this is sure to be a loss leader.
• You have to wonder how Bill DeWitt can afford to keep the lights on with his small-market team struggling like this. Wait, no you don’t.
• Maybe they need to make sure the place looks packed now that they know manager Oli Marmol will be around a little longer. As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, Marmol has agreed to a two-year extension that could keep him through 2029 if the club exercises its option for a third year.
• ESPN’s Jeff Passan has agreed to an extension of his own, and will also host a new ESPN baseball podcast. There had apparently been reports of Passan being courted by Jomboy Media, so I’m glad he’s staying with the Four Letter. No word yet on whether ESPN is deferring any of the new deal to lower its net present value for luxury tax purposes.
• On the opposite end of the spectrum for baseball reporting, bigoted asshole Phil Mushnik of the New York Post — the same person who wrote that Rickey Henderson was overrated in the wake of the legend’s death — wrote a column whining about the Yankees retiring Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia‘s number. Thinly-veiled racism aside, Mushnick isn’t in the clubhouse and doesn’t cover the sport closely enough to have an opinion.
• The Padres shut down pitcher Bryan Hoeing with elbow discomfort.
• The Padres have also shut down catcher Blake Hunt with an oblique injury, a move that may or may not be directly related to Hoeing. Or hoeing. Or hoeing.

Trailer Time

I don’t think I have seen any of the Scary Movie franchise after the original, but I have to give credit to the Wayans family for continuing to make the most out of what could easily have been a throw-away concept. They’ve been spoofing horror flicks for over a quarter-century now, and I saw that they might even make a sequel to Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood if SM6 does well.

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