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The Chicago Cubs are in a major pitching predicament. Ten Cubs pitchers have entered free agency, with five of them being starters.
This leaves Javier Assad as the only healthy pitcher on the roster with starting experience. The Cubs are expected to be active on the pitching market during this tough time. And it may get worse with a concerning injury update to one of their starters.
Ben Brown, who did not play after June due to a lingering neck injury, still hasn’t been cleared to throw, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Surgery has not been ruled out, per Sharma.
More On Chicago Cubs’ Ben Brown
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Brown in the 33rd round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of high school. In 2022, the Phillies traded him to the Cubs in exchange for closer David Robertson.
Brown made his MLB debut in 2024, pitching in 15 games (55.1 innings), while recording a 3.58 ERA. However, he took a major step back in 2025 with a 5.92 ERA in 25 games (106.1 innings). While he gave up a lot of hits and home runs, the stuff was undeniable, and he racked up a ton of strikeouts.
In 2026, Brown broke out with a 1.85 ERA in 20 games (68 innings). While he worked mainly as a reliever during the season, Brown started his final eight appearances, giving up just eight runs in 42.1 innings.
He didn’t pitch after June 19 and is sidelined indefinitely while he awaits further medical advice. With the exodus of Cubs pitching (Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea, David Peterson, Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Trent Thornton and Aaron Civale), this is a less-than-ideal outcome for the team.
But who do they have waiting in the wings if Brown’s injury is more severe than previously expected?
What’s The Backup Plan?
The Cubs are thin on healthy pitchers. Cade Horton is recovering from early-season Tommy John surgery, Braxton Garrett has pitched in just 10 games since 2024 due to injury, Edward Cabrera struggled in his first season in Chicago and Justin Steele hasn’t pitched since early 2025.
This leaves room for quite a few external additions in the rotation and bullpen. Horton will return to the rotation when healthy, but that might not be until the summer of 2027. Garrett might not make the major league roster due to his injuries and poor play when healthy.
Cabrera will likely have a swing role as he did late last year. However, his 5.96 ERA in 2026 may give the team pause, along with his injury history. Steele was in consideration to return late in 2026, but setbacks stunted his return. He will likely be in the rotation out of the gate in 2027.
Meanwhile, plenty of free agent starters can fill in for Brown, such as Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta and Michael King. However, the Cubs have to be willing to spend on them. We’ll see if Jed Hoyer gets a big fish to replace the lack of pitching depth.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cubs-concerning-ben-brown-amid-071622287.html
