Cubs place Steele on 15-day IL with hamstring strain

The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, the club announced Saturday.

Right-hander Ben Brown was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding roster move.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that Steele is expected to miss all of April with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma reports.

Steele suffered the injury during his Opening Day start on Thursday against the Texas Rangers. The 28-year-old grabbed the back of his left leg after fielding a groundball and was removed from the game.

Steele emerged as the surprising ace of the Cubs' rotation last season, posting a 16-5 record with a 3.06 ERA.

Brown was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. The 24-year-old is the Cubs' 10th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.