Chicago Cubs ace Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his left elbow, dealing a significant blow to the team’s rotation.

It was unclear whether Steele, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, will need another full ligament-replacement procedure or a Tommy John revision with an internal brace. The 29-year-old left-hander will be sidelined until 2026.

“On a day like this, you feel for Justin,” manager Craig Counsell said before Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers. “It’s kind of the life of a major league pitcher, these injuries that make you miss most of seasons.

“But I talked to him this morning, and he has a great attitude about it, as he always does. He knows that it’s part of the career he’s chosen, and he’s going to take it a step at a time and do the best he can to come back even better.”

Steele, 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in four starts, felt tightness in his elbow after throwing seven scoreless innings at home against the Texas Rangers last Monday, discomfort he attributed to the chilly weather at Wrigley Field.

Two days later, the Cubs placed Steele on the 15-day injured list. An MRI revealed that Steele was “dealing with the same injury” as last September, when he missed two starts because of tendinitis, Counsell said Friday. A visit to a doctor for a second opinion revealed a more serious injury.

Steele had a 3.10 ERA in 78 starts from 2022-24 and finished fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2023, when he went 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts, striking out 176 and walking 36 in 173 1/3 innings.

Counsell said right-hander Colin Rea, who started against the Dodgers on Sunday, will fill Steele’s rotation spot for now and that right-hander Javier Assad, who will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, will be a candidate to fill Steele’s spot when he returns from a left oblique strain.

RED SOX’S FULMER BACK IN BIG LEAGUES

Former AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, returning from Tommy John surgery, was brought up from the minor leagues on Sunday when the Boston Red Sox placed right-hander Richard Fitts on the 15-day injured list with a right pectoral strain.

A 32-year-old right-hander, Fulmer has not pitched in the big leagues since 2023 with the Cubs. He had Tommy John revision surgery on Oct. 18, 2023, signed a minor league contract with Boston the following Feb. 2 and did not pitch last year.

Fulmer had a 0.79 ERA in five spring training appearances for the Red Sox, striking out 12 and walking three in 11 1/3 innings. He had a 3.09 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance for Triple-A Worcester, striking out 18 and walking six in 11 2/3 innings.

Fulmer, who won the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year with Detroit, had Tommy John surgery on March 27, 2019, and returned to the major leagues on July 27, 2020, just after the start of the pandemic-shortened season.

He is 37-50 with a 3.94 ERA in 90 starts and 172 relief appearances for Detroit (2016-22), Minnesota (2022) and the Cubs (2023).

TWINS HONOR MAUER WITH BRONZE STATUE

The Minnesota Twins unveiled a bronze statue of Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer at Target Field before Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

Mauer spoke as the statue was unveiled outside a gate beyond right field. He joined Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, manager Tom Kelly and owners Carl and Eloise Pohlad with a statue outside the ballpark.

Designed by Minnesota artist Bill Mack, the statue is just over 8 feet tall and weighs more than 800 pounds.

Mauer batted .306 with 143 homers and 906 RBIs with Minnesota from 2004-18. He was voted to baseball’s Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2024.

The first overall pick in the 2001 amateur draft, Mauer played 15 seasons for his hometown club. He won three American League batting titles, was voted the 2009 AL MVP, was picked for six All-Star games and earned three Gold Gloves.