Injuries shape Cubs’ pitching staff in final nine games of season

PITTSBURGH — With nine games left, it’s still unclear which pitchers will finish the season on the Cubs’ active roster.

The team hasn’t ruled out left-hander Justin Steele (lower-back strain) returning from the 15-day injured list. Then there are veteran lefties Wade Miley and Drew Smyly, who are dealing with tightness or fatigue but have not been put on the IL.

Steele’s bullpen session Saturday went well, according to pitching coach Tommy Hottovy.

‘‘Really starting to look back to the guy that we are used to seeing,’’ Hottovy said Sunday. ‘‘Big thing for him today is recovering from the bullpen, making sure all that feels good, that there’s no lingering issues from what he was dealing with.’’

The Cubs plan to give Steele another high-intensity bullpen session before evaluating his next step, which might be a live batting-practice session or game action.

‘‘I know timeline-wise we’re getting close here,’’ Hottovy said. ‘‘But our goal with Justin was to finish strong.

‘‘ ‘Finish strong’ can mean a lot of different things. Ideally, we would like to get him in a game. But, again, he’s progressing and trending in the right direction, so we’ll have to see how these next couple of days progress.’’

Smyly originally was targeting Tuesday or Wednesday for his next start after skipping his last scheduled outing because of fatigue in his left shoulder. Instead, right-handers Marcus Stroman, Hayden Wesneski and Javier Assad are scheduled to pitch in the three-game series Tuesday through Thursday against the Phillies.

‘‘I don’t like putting a timeline on something when we have other options,’’ Hottovy said.

The Cubs’ day off Monday gave them that other option. Hottovy said he preferred adjusting the plan to the results of Smyly’s bullpen session rather than adjusting the bullpen session to a rigid timeline.

‘‘As long as he gets through that OK, [we’re] probably looking at the ability to pitch in a game next week sometime,’’ Hottovy said. ‘‘The big thing for him is the fine line between where we are in the season. Guys can pitch at 95%, but is it worth it?’’

As of Sunday morning, Miley needed further evaluation before determining his next steps. He left the game Saturday with a tight left oblique, another injury in a season already cut short by elbow and shoulder injuries.

‘‘The reports I’m getting are [that] he felt a little bit better than he thought he was going to feel coming out of yesterday,’’ Hottovy said. ‘‘It’s been an up-and-down, roller-coaster year for him. But he’s definitely put in the time and effort to want to go out there and compete. So if he’s feeling good, we want to make sure we do what’s right by him there, too.’’

Hoerner returns

Shortstop Nico Hoerner returned to the lineup after being sidelined for two weeks by strained right triceps. He served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-5.

Franmil Reyes has been the Cubs’ primary DH since they claimed him off waivers in early August. But with Hoerner still working back to playing the field, Reyes started in right field for the first time with the Cubs.

Daily Wisdom

Patrick Wisdom hit his 25th home run, a three-run shot that broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning.

He became the fourth Cub predominantly playing third base to notch multiple 25-homer seasons, joining Ron Santo (eight times), Aramis Ramirez (seven) and Kris Bryant (four).