Cubs' Steele nabs No. 2 starter spot, ahead of Stroman
Kyle Hendricks and Marcus Stroman were expected to pitch at the top of the Cubs' starting rotation this year.
Justin Steele was not.
With Thursday's season opener against the Brewers approaching, Hendricks was already selected to get the start.
On Monday, manager David Ross announced the Cubs' next two starters against Milwaukee - Steele and Stroman.
Hendricks and Stroman are both right-handed pitchers, so inserting the left-handed Steele between them is the most obvious reason for the decision.
The Cubs' fifth-round draft pick in 2014 out of George County High School in Lucedale, Miss., Steele made his major-league debut last season and was 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA.
In 9 starts for the Cubs, Steele was 2-4 with a 4.95 ERA. In 11 relief appearances, he was 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA.
Wade Miley would have likely pitched the Cubs' second or third game vs. the Brewers but he's going to open the season on the injured list due to inflammation in his left elbow.
That opened the door for Steele, who was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 3 spring training starts. Over 6⅔ innings, he allowed 3 hits, issued 7 walks and had 5 strikeouts.
"I'm just a kid living in a dream out here," Steele told reporters Monday. "To spend seven years in the minors, it was a long journey, went through Tommy John surgery, went through some injuries to get to the big leagues. It just made it all that (much) sweeter when I finally did make it."
The Cubs play a four-game series against the Brewers to begin the season. Drew Smyly could get the start on Sunday after facing the White Sox Monday and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk in 2.2 innings.
•During Monday's Cactus League game vs. the Sox, Ross informed relief pitcher Ethan Roberts he's made the Cubs' 28-man roster.
The 24-year old righty split last season between Class AAA Iowa and AA Tennessee and was 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA.
"Going into my town (Sparta, Tenn), Highway 111 runs right through it," Roberts told reporters after getting the good news. "On the side of it, it says home of bluegrass singer (Lester Flatt). I said, 'Dad, that's gonna say home of Ethan Roberts one day.' That was when I was 12."
•The Cubs assigned non-roster invites Ildemaro Vargas, Jonathan Holder, Robert Gsellman, Steven Brault and Stephen Gonsalves to AAA Iowa.