The Cubs are getting closer to adding two important arms back into the mix, and the latest update on Ben Brown and Justin Steele is as encouraging as it gets this time of year.
Craig Counsell said both pitchers threw live bullpen sessions on Friday in Seattle and “felt great.” Brown’s next step, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro, is another round of live BP and bridge games in Arizona early next week. If that goes well, he will head back to Chicago and begin a rehab assignment.
Steele is on a similar track. Montemurro reported Monday that he is scheduled for live batting practice twice this week, and if those sessions go smoothly, he’ll start a rehab assignment on Friday. Steele also said, “It’s been a long road & feels really good to get towards the end of that tunnel.”
For Brown, the return would be a major development. He went on the injured list on June 24 with what the team first described as a neck strain, but imaging later showed a stress reaction on the C5 vertebra in his neck, the same issue he dealt with in 2024. Brown said in June that he was “optimistic” about where things stood as the season went on.
Even without a pitch in the majors since June 19, Brown still leads the Cubs’ staff in fWAR this season at 2.0. He has posted a 1.85 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 68 innings, with hitters batting just .186 against him. His curveball has been especially nasty, with opponents hitting only .124 off it and the pitch ranking among MLB’s most effective by run value.
The timing could work out well for Chicago’s postseason push, especially because Brown may be able to help in relief. With Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes giving the Cubs more starting pitching depth, Brown could be deployed out of the bullpen to strengthen a relief corps that has been shaky. His numbers there are solid too, with a 2.10 ERA in 25.2 innings, compared with a 1.70 ERA in 42.1 innings as a starter.
That bullpen has been a problem area all season. Chicago ranks 29th in MLB in bullpen fWAR at 3.3, sits 24th in saves with 29, has a 20.5% strikeout rate, and has surrendered the second-most home runs in the league at 196.
Steele’s path has been even longer. His last start for the Cubs came on April 7, 2025, and he went on the IL the next day with elbow tendinitis in his throwing arm. By April 13, the Cubs had ruled him out for the season after announcing he needed surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament.
He was expected to be building toward a return around the start of the 2026 season before a flexor strain in April interrupted that progress.
Still, the 31-year-old remains one of the Cubs’ most reliable homegrown pitchers. In 102 career appearances since his debut in 2021, Steele owns a 3.30 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 517 strikeouts in 506.2 innings.
He won’t be jumping back into the rotation this season with Chicago’s starting pitching depth where it is, but he could still give the Cubs a useful boost in short bullpen outings if he’s ready before the regular season ends.
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Cubs Prospect Is Doing Something Rare The Organization Barely Sees
Josiah Hartshorn has spent this season turning heads across two levels of the Cubs farm system, showing the kind of power that usually belongs to much older players. The 19-year-old has hit his way from Class-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend, posting a .936 OPS in more than 300 plate appearances and giving the organization a glimpse of a future outfielder with real middle-of-the-order upside.
For a club that is always trying to stock the next wave, Hartshorns season stands out because Chicago simply does not see teenage hitters do this very often. He is still likely a couple of years from the majors, but the path is getting more interesting by the week, especially with the possibility that he could one day pair with Pete Crow-Armstrong in a dynamic Cubs outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Open Huge Wild Card Series With One Big Lineup Question
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Michael Conforto was back in the designated hitter spot for the Cubs for a second straight game, giving Chicago another look at a bat that has been part of the recent mix. On the other side, Ketel Marte remained on the injured list, leaving Arizona short one of its most important players and forcing former Cub Ildemaro Vargas to handle second base again as the Diamondbacks try to keep pace in a crowded chase. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Brown Could Give Cubs Bullpen Help Sooner Than Expected
Ben Brown took another meaningful step in his recovery from a neck injury this week, throwing a live bullpen session at the Cubs spring training complex. The session marked the latest sign that he is moving in the right direction, and the clubs plan is for him to return to Chicago soon and begin a minor-league rehab assignment as he works back toward game action.
Manager Craig Counsell said Brown and Justin Steele both felt good after their bullpen work, and more progress is expected early next week. For a Cubs staff that can use every healthy arm it can get, Browns timeline has started to tighten in a way that at least opens the door for a bullpen return before the end of the regular season. [Read more 🡒]