The Cubs got a brutal update on Ben Brown Thursday, but there was at least some lighter news elsewhere on the injury front.
Brown, the right-hander who had been working toward a return, will not pitch again this season because of the neck injury that has kept him out since June 19. The team had originally believed he was dealing with a neck strain when he went on the IL, but later testing showed a stress reaction - the same issue that cost him much of the 2024 season.
The timing made the ending sting even more. Brown had been trending toward a late-season comeback before he became symptomatic again after a live batting practice session on Aug.
- That came after Craig Counsell said Brown had felt “great” following live BP on Aug.
Per 670 The Score's Bruce Levine, it wasn't necessarily a setback for Brown but rather there was not sufficient time for his neck vertebrae to heal with just weeks left in the regular season.
Cubs announce RHP Ben Brown will not have time in his rehab to pitch again this season. There was no setback.The time for his neck vertebrae to heal is not syncing up with the season concluding.
It closes the book on what had turned into a breakout year for Brown. In 20 appearances, he posted a 1.85 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP across 68 innings, and even after nearly three months without throwing a pitch, he still leads all Cubs pitchers in fWAR at 2.0.
There was also a scary moment Wednesday night when Jacob Webb took a 102.5-mph shot off Christian Yelich's bat to his right forearm and had to leave immediately in obvious pain. Counsell said after the game that X-rays were negative, a welcome break for a pitching staff that has already taken its share of hits.
On Thursday, Counsell said Webb had already started playing catch and was sore with a contusion on the arm where the ball hit him. The Cubs are being careful with the swelling and are hoping he can avoid an IL stint.
"The concern is just as the days go on, the swelling is going to go to his hand... We're hopeful he can avoid the IL."
The best news of the day came with Dansby Swanson, who remains on track to return for the playoffs. Swanson has been on the IL since Aug. 17 with a left oblique strain, and Counsell said he is still “on the same track” as his original recovery timeline. He was expected to be out until the end of September when the injury happened, and Counsell said he has been throwing to first base and “swinging every day.”
Swanson’s bat has been up and down this season, but his value has been missed all over the field. The Cubs are 6-9 in his absence entering play Thursday.
In Other News...
Cubs Bullpen Suddenly Faces A Brutal Ninth Inning Problem
Jacob Webbs scare added another layer to a Cubs bullpen that was already under real strain. Webb was struck on his right forearm by a 102.5 MPH line drive during the game, but x-rays came back negative, which at least offered some relief for a group that has been scrambling for steadier late-inning answers. Chicagos relief corps has struggled badly since Aug. 19, leaving little room for error as the season tightens and every leveraged inning matters.
Daniel Palencia has emerged as the most obvious option to absorb ninth-inning duties if Webb misses time, but the path forward is hardly clean. Palencia has had his own recent difficulties on the mound, which makes the bullpen picture even murkier for a team already trying to piece together the back end of games. For the Cubs, the issue is no longer just surviving one scare - it is finding a reliable way to close games when the options keep getting thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Lose A Late-Season Weapon At The Worst Possible Time
Ben Browns season has come to an abrupt end at exactly the wrong time for the Cubs. The right-hander, who had been giving Chicago valuable innings in multiple pitching roles during the 2026 campaign, will miss the rest of the year after the club said a recurring neck injury has flared up again.
It is a frustrating turn for a pitcher who had already dealt with the same problem in 2024 and had recently been trying to work his way back through rehab. For a Cubs team that could have used every healthy arm down the stretch, Browns setback leaves one more hole to fill and one more reminder of how quickly pitching depth can disappear. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Close The Book On A Once Promising Hometown First Rounder
Ed Howards Cubs journey has reached an abrupt end. The Chicago first-round pick from 2020 was released by the organization in August 2025, closing the book on a player the franchise once believed could grow into a homegrown answer in the middle infield.
Howards path never fully recovered after the major hip injury he suffered in 2022, which led to surgery and a long rehab process. He tried to fight his way back into form, but the combination of limited playing time and uneven performance left the Cubs with a difficult decision on a once-promising local talent. [Read more 🡒]