CHICAGO — Even though Justin Steele is sidelined for the rest of the season, he’s making a point to be around his teammates as much as possible.

The Cubs’ left-handed ace, who underwent season-ending surgery on his elbow in mid-April, sported a grin on his face as he spoke in front of his locker for the first time in weeks.

“It’s been awesome (to be back),” Steele said. “I’m going to try and come as much as I can.”

Steele has spent much of his rehab period in Arizona as he recovers from an internal repair on his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Even on a chilly, rainy day, the trip back to Chicago was a much-needed one for the Mississippi native.

“I’ve been telling the guys and the coaches that I want to come once every other homestand, just to get out of the Arizona heat for a little bit,” Steele quipped.

The UCL procedure is different from Tommy John Surgery, which Steele underwent in 2017 while with Single-A Myrtle Beach. Still, Steele compared his current situation to the first time he was sidelined.

“It’s been going a lot smoother than the first go-around. I’m in a good spot,” Steele said. “I remember the first TJ I had — it took a little bit longer to get a full range of motion back. (This time), after five or six days, I already had a full range, moving it around. I felt comfortable out of my brace. So it’s been good.”

And he feels like he has been able to navigate the mental aspect better this time around.

“I also think already going through something like that once, you’re just mentally in a different head space – you feel a lot more comfortable going through it a second time. You’ve kinda experienced it before,” Steele said as he joined the Marquee Sports Network broadcast booth during Tuesday’s game.

While a timetable for a major procedure can be different for everyone, Steele was optimistic about being able to start throwing again six months after surgery.

The lefty’s absence was the first blow to a Cubs’ rotation that has since lost Shota Imanaga, albeit temporarily, to a hamstring strain. Imanaga previously spoke of asking Steele for advice on the recovery process for that injury, which is the same thing Steele suffered in his Opening Day start against the Texas Rangers last season.

“(Imanaga) texted me saying he might have some questions along the way, as far as what I’ve dealt with,” Steele said. “I was just there for him. (I told him) any type of question he has, we can get the translator, sit down, chop it up and figure it out.”

Speaking on the broadcast during Tuesday night’s game, Steele added on to his admiration for Imanaga.

“He’s hilarious. It’s amazing. It’s awesome having conversations with him, whether it’s through the translator or just him trying his best to speak English,” Steele told Jim Deshaies and Jon Sciambi while sitting in the booth. “He’s just such a great personality. He’s a joy to be around.”

[Watch Steele’s entire time in the broadcast booth during Tuesday’s Cubs win]

Steele has made it clear he has a genuine love for the team and his teammates, even if he can’t be there in person. His wife has posted videos on social media of him watching the team intently from his living room.

“Obviously, I’d like to be out there playing with them, but it’s fun being a fan watching from my couch,” Steele said. “We schedule our days around what time the game starts — we make sure (my son) has his toys in front of the TV, ready to play.”

For the Cubs, seeing Steele battle through a tough injury at such a critical point in his career was difficult, especially for pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, who got emotional speaking about Steele when he was first ruled out. Reflecting on the team’s support for him, Steele said it “means the world.”

“I was drafted by the Cubs in 2014, so I’ve had over 10 years in the organization,” Steele said. “They’ve seen me slowly develop into what I’ve become today. It’s a lot of hard work — a lot of blood, sweat, and tears trying to get to the big leagues. It means the world to me that the organization, the staff, and the coaches care so much about me.”