Cubs lefty Justin Steele close to returning

Left-hander Justin Steele was the first of the Cubs’ young relievers to arrive on the scene this season. A strained right hamstring suffered while running the bases has sidelined Steele for a month, but the Cubs should be getting him back soon.

Steele threw a bullpen session Sunday before the Cubs’ 2-0 victory against the Marlins, and things went well.

“The data turned out really good,” manager David Ross said. “He’ll throw another bullpen pretty soon. I need to talk to him first, but things are good. He’ll be off on a rehab assignment soon.”

Steele is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 11 outings.

Alzolay returns

Right-hander Adbert Alzolay was officially activated from the injured list before his start Monday against the Indians. Alzolay had been out since June 8 with a blister on his right middle finger.

To make room for Alzolay on the 26-man roster, left-hander Kyle Ryan was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Ryan, who was recalled Sunday, has a 3.38 ERA in three appearances.

Zobrist seeking $6M in court

Former Cub and 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist has filed a lawsuit against a former minister and marital counselor, according to court documents. Zobrist also is seeking $6 million in damages from Byron Yawn, who is accused in the lawsuit of defrauding Zobrist’s charity.

Zobrist missed much of his final season with the Cubs in 2019 for personal reasons while dealing with what turned into very public marital issues. He returned to the team and played 47 games that season. It would be his last season in the majors before retiring in 2020.

According to the court filings from May 6 in Nashville, Tennessee, Zobrist claims to have lost $8 million in income because he missed four months with the Cubs.

He said it

“I find myself watching how these [managers] interact in the game. I get all worked up sometimes when the umpire might not be that great or whatever. And I watch [Terry Francona] in Cleveland. He’s just Steady Eddie. There’s no yelling. He’s seen a lot of baseball games, and he’s just a cool cucumber and knows what’s going on in the game and knows how to react. I’m still learning, experiencing and trying to navigate my way and how I do things, but I definitely have a lot of respect for him and what he’s been able to do in this game and the way the players like him and getting the most out of his teams, even short-handed. I mean, he’s a Hall of Famer.” — Ross, on Cleveland’s manager