After clinching another series win with a 10-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, everything seemed to be pointing in the right direction for the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago is 9-3 since returning from an 0-2 trip to Japan and it looked as if the Cubs were emerging as a serious contender in the national league with the combination of timely hitting and dominant pitching from the starting rotation.

That starting rotation took a hit, however, as according to Marquee Network’s Bruce Levine, left-hander Justin Steele was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow tendinitis.

Steele is coming off of a start on Monday against the Rangers in which he went seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts. It was the first time this season Steele had allowed fewer than three runs and no home runs in a start. It looked as though he was returning to form, but he will now be shut down.

It is the second straight season Steele has hit the injured list after a start against the Rangers. He suffered a hamstring injury just four innings into his opening day start against Texas last season and now he hits the shelf again after a start against the Rangers.

An elbow injury is always concerning, so it is unlikely Steele will return as soon as his 15-day stint is up. In a corresponding move, the Cubs recalled right-hander Ethan Roberts from Iowa. Roberts will be spending his third season in the big leagues with the Cubs and will have an opportunity to build off his 21 appearances and 3.71 ERA from last season.

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