Ben Brown’s path back to the Cubs just hit another wall.
What had looked like the final stretch before a minor-league rehab assignment has turned into another reset, with Craig Counsell saying Brown is feeling symptoms again and will head back with the team after Wednesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks to meet with doctors and determine the next steps.
Brown has been out since the middle of June with a stress reaction in his neck, the same issue that ended his 2024 season early. The Cubs had been working carefully through his recovery, hoping not just to get him back this year, but to make sure the injury was handled in a way that would keep it from resurfacing.
That plan appeared to be moving forward. Brown threw live bullpen sessions last Friday and again on Tuesday. But by the end of the most recent one, the symptoms returned, and they only worsened as the day went on.
Not great news for Ben Brown & Cubs: Brown (stress reaction in neck) became symptomatic at end of his live BP yesterday and they worsened as day progressed.
It’s same issue as before. He’ll travel back with Cubs & be evaluated.
Counsell: “It’s gonna slow it down in some way.”
- Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) August 26, 2026
The Cubs had been deliberately patient with Brown because he had been asymptomatic for several weeks, and they wanted to make sure that when his throwing ramped back up, it wouldn’t trigger another setback. Now the organization is back to figuring out what comes next.
Chicago had already ruled out Brown returning to the rotation, but there was still hope he could factor as a bulk option out of the bullpen in September and maybe into the playoffs. That idea becomes much harder to see now, especially with Jacob Webb struggling and Daniel Palencia’s role still unclear.
From here, the timing is the biggest problem. Once Brown is cleared again, his throwing program will have to start over from the beginning. He had already spent weeks simply throwing before he was able to get back to bullpen work, and that kind of delay does not leave much room on the calendar.
At this point, the Cubs may decide the smartest move is to slow everything down and focus on getting Brown healthy for good. He could still matter in October if everything goes right, and he would matter even more for next season’s rotation. But first, the Cubs need answers on why the symptoms keep coming back and whether Brown’s mechanics need to change to reduce the pressure on his neck.
It’s not the kind of position the Cubs wanted to be in, especially with so much uncertainty around the pitching staff after this season. But it’s the question in front of them now.
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