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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Brown has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his neck and will have limited activity for the next month, 104.3 The Score reports.
Counsell also noted that Brown's injury is "very similar" to the one the pitcher dealt with during the 2024 campaign. That year, Brown was sidelined in early June and wound up not appearing in another game for the remainder of the season. The Cubs will have a better idea as to Brown's timetable in one month, but the right-hander is looking at an extended absence.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Sent to IL with neck strain
Rotowire
The Cubs placed Brown on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a neck strain.
Brown wasn't known to be nursing a neck issue, as he cruised to his second win in as many starts during his most recent appearance Friday against the Blue Jays. He'll be eligible to return from the IL in early July, but the Cubs haven't yet provided a timeline for Brown's activation. Brown boasts a 1.70 ERA and 41:11 K:BB over 42.1 innings covering eight starts since entering the Chicago rotation.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Seeing specialist for neck injury
Rotowire
Brown returned to Chicago to have his neck strain examined by specialists, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Brown has been able to pitch through the neck issue for a bit, but it prevented him from throwing his bullpen session Tuesday, leading to the pitcher being placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that there's concern Brown's neck injury is related to the one he dealt with in 2024 that cost him more than half of that season, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Cruises to fourth win
Rotowire
Brown (4-2) earned the win Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks over six innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out four.
Brown delivered a scoreless top of the first inning, and the Cubs offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the frame to put him on track for the victory. The right-hander surrendered single tallies in the third and sixth innings but otherwise kept Toronto off the board to deliver his third quality start and third victory in his past five outings. Brown has a 1.53 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 25:7 K:BB across 29.1 innings during that five-game stretch.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Pitches well for third win
Rotowire
Brown (3-2) allowed one run on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings to earn the win over the Giants on Saturday.
Brown pitched fairly well, and the Giants weren't able to capitalize often on their consistent traffic on the bases. The right-hander threw 54 of 86 pitches for strikes in this outing. He's allowed one run or fewer in six of his seven starts this season, adding a 37:11 K:BB across 36.1 innings in those games. Overall, he has a 1.74 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 61:19 K:BB through 62 innings over 19 appearances. Brown's next outing is projected to be at home versus the Blue Jays. He's provided some much-needed stability to an injury-ravaged rotation and looks to have done enough to stay in the unit once Matthew Boyd (knee/shoulder) is ready to return.
Brown did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Giants, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 scoreless innings.
Brown threw just 51 of 87 pitches for strikes but managed to keep the Giants off the board, departing two outs shy of what would have been his third straight quality start. Since joining the rotation May 8, the 26-year-old has allowed more than one earned run just once in six outings. He'll carry a stellar 1.74 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 58:16 K:BB across 57 innings into a road matchup against the Rockies next week.
Brown (2-2) earned the win over St. Louis on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out six batters over seven innings.
Brown was in control throughout the contest, and he gave up only one hit outside of the fourth inning. The right-hander began the campaign in the bullpen, and Saturday marked his fifth start of the season. Though Brown hasn't yet quite worked his way up to a full starter's workload -- he's thrown 82, 83 and 82 pitches in his past three outings -- that hasn't prevented him from going plenty deep, as he's collected a quality start in each of his past two appearances. The 26-year-old has also fanned at least six batters in each of his past four starts, rewarding fantasy managers who scooped him up despite his struggles as a starter in previous campaigns. Brown seems to have come into his own this season, as he now holds a 1.92 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 53:15 K:BB across 51.2 innings.
Brown took a no-decision Monday against the Pirates, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out seven.
After opening the season exclusively as a multi-inning reliever, Brown has fared well overall in his transition to Chicago's rotation. The 26-year-old right-hander turned in his longest outing of the year Monday, also tying a season high in punchouts. Brown has given up only four runs over his first four starts (19 innings) en route to producing a 2.01 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 47:14 K:BB across 44.2 frames in 2026, and he'll be looking to continue his success as a starter this weekend in St. Louis against the division-rival Cardinals.
Brown (1-2) took the loss Tuesday against the Brewers, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings.
After back-to-back four-inning outings in which he allowed just one total hit, Brown had a tougher time navigating traffic Tuesday. The right-hander allowed at least three baserunners in two separate innings, leading to Milwaukee breaking through against him. Even so, the swing-and-miss arsenal remained impressive, as Brown generated 15 whiffs during the outing. Despite the loss, he still owns an excellent 2.09 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 40:12 K:BB across 38.2 innings this season. Brown is slated to face Pittsburgh in his next start.
