The Cubs are inching closer to getting two of their better hitters back from injury, manager Craig Counsell announced Saturday morning.

Outfielders Cody Bellinger (ribs) and Seiya Suzuki (oblique) could be back with the team as soon as next week.

"Belli is a little ahead of Suzuki," Counsell said before the Cubs hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. "We're going through baseball activities, making sure they feel good coming out of that and then progressing."

Suzuki, 29, has been out since mid-April after tweaking his oblique running to first base, while Bellinger, 28, has missed the past two weeks after colliding into a brick wall while tracking down a fly ball.

Cubs ace Justin Steele is just about ready to return to Chicago's rotation after being sidelined since the season opener because of a strained left hamstring.

Steele is on track to start Monday against San Diego, assuming he gets through one more bullpen session with no issues, manager Craig Counsell said Friday. The left-hander was hurt trying to field a bunt at Texas in his Opening Day start.

"We've missed him for a month, and it'll be good to get him going," Counsell said.

Before he signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, Shota Imanaga drew interest from the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox, according to a report.

A previous report stated that the Red Sox offered Imanaga a two-year deal with $26 million in guaranteed money with vesting options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The Chicago Cubs have placed Jordan Wicks on 15-day injured list with a strained forearm.

Wicks, 27, was scheduled to start the series finale against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, but he was scratched on Saturday.

"There was a forearm issue and I think it made sense for us to be cautious here," Craig Counsell said. "We'll see how it responds over the next week and see where we're at. The hope is maybe we caught this soon enough and it's a short stay."

Wicks is 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA in five starts.

The Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday for cash considerations.

Cooper, 33, was designated for assignment by the Cubs this week after hitting .270 with a home run and six RBIs in 12 games. His playing time was limited with the emergence of Michael Busch.

Chicago Cubs reliever Luke Little had to change his glove before he entered Wednesday night's 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros because of an American flag patch.

As the left-hander went through the usual check by umpires for pitchers coming into the game, he was told he had to swap out his glove.

"The issue was the American flag was on his glove," Craig Counsell said. "Pitchers' gloves, they're pretty strict about not having white on the pitchers' gloves. Apparently the flag had what could be a distraction to the hitter."

Little's replacement glove wasn't broken in.

"I had to beat it a little bit, try and get it flexed out," Little said. "Of all the things to do is breaking in a glove during a game."

He struck out one batter in 2/3 innings pitched.

Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks will make his scheduled start against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, but the team is concerned about the veteran's start to the season.

Hendricks, 34, is 0-2 with a 12.71 ERA over four outings that includes a league-high seven home runs allowed.

"It's not one or two starts," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday morning. "It's been four, so I think there is a level of concern, but I would also say, given his track record and given the fact that he's gotten through some struggles in the past, this isn't the first time he's struggled. No one pitches in the big leagues and doesn't have those struggles at some point."

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers face each other this weekend at Wrigley Field, but a year from now they'll likely be doing the same in Japan to open the 2025 season.

MLB has yet to make that official, but Nippon Professional Baseball commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara said Wednesday that MLB has slated March 19 and 20 for next year's season-opening series.

But Sakakibara did not reveal who will be playing. In the meantime, this weekend's three-game set will be highlighted by matchups of four prominent Japanese-born players.

The Chicago Cubs will likely be without Justin Steele until May due to a left hamstring strain.

Steele left his start against the Texas Rangers on Thursday with hamstring tightness in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Craig Counsell said Steele is dealing with a Grade 1 strain.

"You're thinking that it's just a shame," Counsell said. "He's pitching really, really well. Obviously an important member of the team, and it looks like we're gonna miss him for a little bit here." 

Steele went down after successfully fielding a Leody Taveras push bunt for an out at first base.

The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Saturday after their Opening Day starter was injured fielding a bunt against the Texas Rangers.

The Cubs recalled right-hander Ben Brown, 24, from Triple-A Iowa, with Brown in line to make his major league debut after getting two starts among five appearances in spring training.