Chicago Cubs: Update on Ben Brown doesn’t sound good at all

The Chicago Cubs have been dealing with a seemingly non-stop barrage of pitching injuries that have diminished expectations of a postseason run dramatically.

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Among the latest and most devastating was the injury to Ben Brown, who had been the team’s top starter since moving into the rotation as an emergency fill-in. On the season, the hard-throwing righty was 4-2 with a 1.85 ERA over 20 total appearances and 68 innings pitched. As a starter, Brown has been especially stellar within a stressed and strained rotation, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.70 ERA over 8 starts.

Last Wednesday, the 26-year-old was placed on the IL with a stress reaction in the neck. Subsequently, manager Craig Counsell told media that he’d be rested completely for at least a month before deciding on a next move. Brown would later confirm that he suffered a partial stress fracture.

The injury is similar to the one that shut down his season in early June of 2024 and, by all accounts, this particular episode is more troubling than the first.

Ben Brown speaks

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“I feel worse this time around, but it’s almost like it’s a good thing,” Brown told reporters before Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. “We can figure this out the right way. The MRI and the scans reflected that, too. I’m optimistic. The team’s optimistic.

“The biggest thing is just figuring out how to not let this happen again. Because, ultimately, the bone can heal, I can come back this year, and it all can be great. I can throw some really good innings and contribute to this awesome team. We’re going to go a long way.

“But I want to pitch five years from now. What does that look like? That’s the biggest focus right now: What can we do, practically, to get on top of the curve here?”

Despite the optimism in his words, the reality is a lot less cheery.

Bad news behind a positive spin

According to Brown, the 2024 diagnosis of a benign bone growth (osteoma) in his neck turned out not to be a correct one. So, the task is now to figure out what’s actually causing the recurring neck issue and to fix any of the mechanics that may be causing it.

“There’s a stress on my bone, something in my throw or in my mechanics that’s leading to that,” Brown said. “It’s not a freak injury anymore. There’s something that I’m doing that’s causing it. I’m working night and day to get to the bottom of it. And the people here are, too. As far as career outlook goes, there’s almost like a positivity around that, like: ‘Hey, we might be able to figure this out.’”

An absolute best case scenario sees the young pitcher return in late August after his rest and some rehab work.

Given this most recent update, however, that doesn’t seem likely. An optimistic estimate could be mid-September-ish. A realistic assessment is starting to scream “2027” for when Brown could come back safely with a good chance of maintaining his health.

That’s not a pleasant thought with the 2027 status of injured Cade Horton and Justin Steele already in doubt and the possible loss of free agent starters Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-ben-brown-injury-update-bad-news/