Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ben Brown hasn't pitched since June, and won't return at all this season due to his neck injury. The right-hander suffered a stress fracture in a neck vertebra in June, and hasn't improved much since he went down injured. He began rehabbing for a return last week, though a recurrence of symptoms slowed his recovery before manager Craig Counsell broke the news Thursday.
Brown, 26, broke out for the Cubs in the first couple of months of the season, forcing his way into the rotation after 12 solid appearances out of the bullpen, during which he had a 2.10 ERA. He made eight starts before landing on the injured list, posting a 1.70 ERA through 42.1 innings during that stretch. On the year, he has a 1.85 ERA through 68 innings pitched, only allowing two home runs over the course of the season.
Brown first came up to the MLB squad in 2024, making 15 appearances split between starting and relief. He logged 55.1 innings in his first MLB season, striking out 64 batters. He stepped into a bigger role in 2024, making 25 appearances on the year, though posted a 5.92 ERA and spent some time in the minor leagues due to his underperformance.
The Cubs don't especially have to change anything, as they've managed themselves rather well without Brown for the majority of the year. That being said, their starting rotation could definitely have used him at some point this season. They made a couple of trades at the deadline to improve their depth, acquiring Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman, but they could still use a little bit of help.
All of the starters currently in their rotation—with the exception of Holmes—have an ERA above 4.00, and they don't have many options to improve their rotation. Presently, the Cubs have a strong grip on the second Wild Card spot, sitting 4.5 games clear of the Arizona Diamondbacks and just one game behind the Philadelphia Phillies, who have the top spot. They'll likely hold one of the top two spots come the end of the season, but will sorely miss one of their best pitchers come the postseason.
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