PHOENIX — Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown, who’s attempting to come back from a chronic neck injury, experienced a setback that puts his return for the stretch run in doubt.Brown, one of the club’s most valuable pitchers, has been sidelined for over two months with a stress reaction in his neck, an injury that also wiped out a significant portion of his 2024 season.Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Brown felt symptoms after throwing two innings during Tuesday’s controlled scrimmage at the organization’s Arizona complex. Brown is scheduled to travel with the major-league team back to Chicago after Wednesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks for further examination.“We’re going to have to kind of regroup,” Counsell said. “He’ll probably check back in with the doctors and see what it means.”
Throughout this three-game series at Chase Field, several rehabbing pitchers have popped into the visiting clubhouse, taking advantage of its proximity to the Mesa facility to reconnect with teammates and staffers.Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy were among the Cubs officials in attendance Tuesday at Sloan Park to watch Brown pitch against a minor-league lineup of Diamondbacks as well as to evaluate multiple pitchers.“Ben looked great throwing,” Counsell said. “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.”Until this setback, the Cubs talked optimistically about Brown being on the verge of starting a minor-league rehab assignment, which could have potentially had him ready by the middle of September.“He has felt great,” Counsell said. “There was no bad news. That was the first day of bad news.”Brown, who will turn 27 next month, has shown so many flashes of potential since the Cubs acquired him as an A-ball prospect in the David Robertson trade with the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2022 deadline.While the Cubs dealt with a deluge of injuries earlier this season, Brown stabilized the pitching staff by functioning as both a high-leverage reliever and a top-of-the-rotation starter, posting a 1.85 ERA across 68 innings.With his versatility, swing-and-miss stuff and 6-foot-6 stature, Brown could have added another dimension to a potential playoff roster, but those plans are now on pause.“We’re not sure yet what this means,” Counsell said, “but it’s going to slow it down in some way.”Aug 26, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
