Ben Brown’s path back to the Cubs just got a little clearer.
After a neck injury shut him down following his June 19 start against the Toronto Blue Jays, the right-hander has been out since then and was moved to the 60-day injured list after the trade deadline. But the conversation around him shifted over the weekend when he threw a bullpen session at Wrigley Field, and Jed Hoyer added the most encouraging update yet on Sunday.
The Cubs are hopeful that Ben Brown can return "in some role to help us out this year," Jed Hoyer says.
"Ben had emerged - he was our best pitcher when he went down," Hoyer says. pic.twitter.com/Ao0fZ0AGq3
- 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) August 17, 2026
Hoyer stopped short of giving Brown a firm timetable, but his comments made it sound like the Cubs expect him back before October. There’s still plenty of vagueness here, but at least there’s no sign of a fresh setback.
What Brown does next is the bigger question. A return to the rotation feels unlikely at this point.
He hasn’t pitched in a long time, and the calendar is working against any real starter buildup. That’s why the reliever conversation may be back on the table for the rest of 2026.
If Brown ends up in the bullpen, Craig Counsell would suddenly have even more depth to play with in long relief. The Cubs already have Javier Assad, Aaron Civale, and Colin Rea in that mix, while David Peterson also seems headed for some bulk bullpen work depending on how the rest of the rotation holds up.
The good news for Chicago is that there’s no need to rush any of this. The playoff rotation is already close to settled with Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and Matthew Boyd, and either Shota Imanaga or Edward Cabrera should be able to handle the fourth spot when needed.
That makes Brown’s return more of a bonus than a necessity. If he’s healthy and avoids aggravating the neck again, the Cubs will gladly take whatever he can give them down the stretch.
In Other News...
Cubs Move Quickly To Address Dansby Swansons Infield Absence
The Cubs wasted little time shoring up their infield after losing Dansby Swanson, claiming Gabriel Arias off waivers from the Mets to give the roster another option in the middle of the diamond. To make room on the 40-man roster, Chicago moved Phil Maton to the 60-day injured list, a reminder of how quickly one injury can force a series of moves behind the scenes.
There is also a little more help on the horizon. Matt Shaw has started a rehab assignment with Iowa and could be back with the Cubs soon, which gives the club a possible internal boost even as it leans on outside depth for the moment. For a team trying to stay steady without Swanson, these are the kinds of short-term fixes that can matter before the bigger lineup questions sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]
Javier Assad Keeps Saving The Cubs And Fans See The Problem
Javier Assad has become one of those pitchers the Cubs keep leaning on whether the setup is ideal or not, and Wednesday was another example. After Kevin Gausman exited with a thumb cramp, Assad came in and covered three scoreless innings of relief, giving Chicago the kind of steady bridge work that helped set up a walk-off win over the White Sox. It was the sort of outing that makes his value obvious even if the path to getting there has been anything but smooth.
Assads season line keeps looking useful, with a 3.46 ERA and opponents hitting just .231 against him, even as some of the underlying metrics hint at a less secure profile. The bigger issue for the Cubs has been keeping him in one place long enough to rely on him, since roster needs have sent him back and forth between the majors and Triple-A. For a team trying to piece together every inning, he has still looked like an important arm to have around. [Read more 🡒]
Shota Imanaga Is Forcing A Cubs Decision At The Worst Time
Shota Imanagas season has reached a tricky stage at exactly the wrong moment for the Cubs. Even with his fastball velocity back where it had been in a recent start, the left-hander has been running into a troubling string of loud contact, and the home run problem has started to outweigh the comfort of seeing the velocity tick up again.
For a club that is trying to sort out playoff rotation spots, Imanagas next few outings carry real weight. The Cubs need to know whether he can turn better raw stuff into better results, because the postseason picture is tightening and his role is no longer something they can take for granted. [Read more 🡒]