Chicago Cubs: Brutal Ben Brown update stings amid bullpen collapse

The Chicago Cubs, after a run that was looking more and more like the run of a championship-level team, seem to have lost their way.

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They’ve now lost three in a row and their NL Wild Card status—which very recently seemed pretty much etched in stone—is suddenly not so secure.

A big part of the team’s regression has to do with a bullpen that has suddenly become a very clear weak spot.

On Friday, for example, Daniel Palencia came into the game in the ninth inning, after the Cubs scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to get themselves within one run of the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs’ former closer, however, allowed a solo home run to make the score 10-8. The Palencia fail not only gave the Reds an insurance run heading into the last inning, it also took the wind out of what appeared to be a Cubs surge of momentum.

In the end, Chicago would lose the game 10-8 and the bullpen, which gave up all but two of the visitor’s runs, took another one on the chin.

The fall of the Cubs’ closers

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In recent days, the club’s two late-inning bullpen assets—Palencia and Jacob Webb—have faltered, big time. The Cubs’ de facto closers have a combined ERA of 24.32 through four key appearances, contributing to all three recent Cubs losses.

The hope, though, was that, amid this collapse of late-inning pitching, help was on the way.

Ben Brown’s positive trajectory in recovery offered a bit of optimism that the team could plug him into a closer role if/when Palencia and Webb didn’t get their grooves back.

The 26-year-old Brown was having a breakthrough year until his recurring neck problem resurfaced and put him on the shelf in mid-June. Up until that point, the tall righty had been lights out, earning his spot as a top-of-rotation starter after establishing himself as a trustworthy bullpen asset earlier in the season. On the year, Brown has posted a 1.85 ERA over 68 innings.

Bad news Brown

Up until this Tuesday, Brown was throwing well and making it look like a return to active duty, at least in a less taxing bullpen role, would be imminent. That optimism is no longer warranted.

Brown is said to have felt “symptoms” of his neck stress reaction injury after a two-inning session at the team’s Arizona complex.

“Ben looked great throwing,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters. “He said the symptoms popped up at the end of the outing and then worsened as the hours went on. We’ll just have to see what comes of it.”

Counsell would go on to affirm that this was, indeed, a setback in Brown’s recovery and that a path forward has yet to be determined.

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic revealed that his internal Cubs sources are not optimistic about the chance of Brown returning this year.

Per Sharma:

“According to a team source who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the club’s plans, the Cubs are looking at their major-league roster with the assumption that Brown won’t be able to help. That’s a departure from how they looked at things before Tuesday. Their focus with him is on his future and making sure his neck injury won’t be a recurring problem.”

So, strike Brown’s name from the cavalry expected to ride in and save the strained Cubs bullpen. Maybe Palencia and Webb—and Counsell—will just have to figure out how to turn things around on their own.

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