The Cubs placed Brasier on the 15-day injured list Friday due to a left groin strain.
The injury may explain Brasier's recent struggles out of the bullpen, with the veteran right-hander allowing eight runs on 11 hits and two walks while striking out three batters across five innings in his last six outings. He'll undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury, but he'll be out of action until at least Sept. 6. In a corresponding move, the Cubs recalled Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa, and Assad will start against the Angels on Friday.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Struggles persist Thursday
Rotowire
Brasier allowed two runs on three hits and a walk across an inning of relief in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Brewers.
Brasier didn't take the loss Thursday, but he didn't help the Cubs stay in the game either. The veteran righty has been scored upon in six of his last eight appearances, and he has a rough 14.85 ERA during that stretch. Overall, Brasier now has a 4.50 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 26 innings this season, and he's not among Chicago's high-leverage bullpen options at the moment.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Allows two more runs Friday
Rotowire
Brasier allowed two runs on three hits across an inning of relief in Friday's 5-0 loss to the Cardinals. He struck out two.
Brasier allowed at least one run in a third straight appearance, and over his last five outings, he's allowed a total of eight earned runs. Before the rough patch, the veteran righty had a 0.93 ERA for the season, but that's climbed to 3.91. Brasier should still see some important innings out of Chicago's bullpen moving forward, though he won't get save opportunities with Daniel Palencia emerging as the team's closer. New acquisitions Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge also figure to see more high-leverage work than Brasier, which limits the latter's fantasy appeal.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Takes first loss Monday
Rotowire
Brasier (0-1) allowed a run on two hits while retiring two batters in relief to take the loss in Monday's 3-2 defeat to the Reds.
After Michael Soroka covered two innings before departing with a shoulder injury and Ben Brown worked the next four frames, Brasier came on in the seventh with the game tied 2-2. The veteran reliever allowed an RBI single to TJ Friedl that broke the tie and ultimately saddled him with his first loss of the season. Brasier still has a solid 3.27 ERA and 1.05 WHIP this year, and he should retain a key role in a Chicago bullpen that added Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge before the trade deadline.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Set to open Monday's game
Rotowire
Brasier will serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher Monday versus the Royals, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Brasier will draw the sixth start of his MLB career in what will likely be a one- or two-inning appearance before he exits the game. The veteran righty has posted an impressive 1.04 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 14 strikeouts over 17.1 innings in 18 appearances with the Cubs this season. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, the Cubs plan to recall Ben Brown from Triple-A Iowa on Monday, and he'll likely be deployed in bulk relief behind Brasier.
Brasier, who tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in Wednesday's loss to the Twins, has now logged 11 straight scoreless appearances dating back to early June.
In 17 appearances overall this season, Brasier has only been scored on twice, and he's now sitting with a stellar 1.10 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. The veteran righty didn't make his season debut until May 24 due to a strained left groin sustained in spring training, but he's been an effective relief option when healthy. He has no wins or saves and has only recorded one hold, so his fantasy value is capped, though Brasier could have some appeal in deeper leagues due to his strong ratios.
Brasier worked around a hit to log a scoreless inning and earn a hold in a 2-1 win against Colorado on Wednesday.
After starter Matthew Boyd allowed only an unearned run across six strong innings, Brasier worked a clean seventh to pick up his first hold of the season. The veteran righty has rattled off four straight scoreless appearances since returning from the injured list Friday, and he has a stellar 2.08 ERA for the year, albeit in only 4.1 innings due to the time he missed with a strained left groin. Brasier could take on more high-leverage work moving forward if he stays healthy and continues to pitch well.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Off of IL
Rotowire
The Cubs reinstated Brasier (groin) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Brasier had been on the shelf since March 27 due to a strained left groin, but he's been cleared to rejoin the Cubs after a lengthy rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa. In six appearances with Iowa, Brasier logged a 3.18 ERA and a 6:1 K:BB across 5.2 innings. Ethan Roberts was optioned to Iowa in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Beginning rehab assignment
Rotowire
Brasier (groin) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Brasier made an appearance March 18 in the Cubs' season-opening series in Japan versus the Dodgers, but he landed on the shelf prior to the team's domestic opener due to a left groin strain. After missing more than a month of action, Brasier is ready to pitch in games again, but he'll likely require a handful of rehab appearances before rejoining the big-league bullpen.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Throws off mound
Rotowire
Brasier (groin) threw a bullpen session Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Friday appears to be the first time Brasier has thrown off a mound since he landed on the injured list at the end of March with a groin strain. The Cubs will likely look to get the 37-year-old righty a few reps against live hitters before activating him, but he could be nearing the end of his stay on the IL.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Goes on IL with hip issue
Rotowire
The Cubs placed Brasier on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to a hip injury.
Brasier's move to the IL comes after he was lit up in his final Cactus League appearance Monday, when he retired just one batter and served up four earned runs on four hits, including three home runs. Prior to that, Brasier had delivered four perfect innings in spring training to earn a spot on the Cubs' Opening Day roster for its two-game series in Tokyo versus the Dodgers. As a result of the hip issue, Brasier won't be available to return from the IL until April 9. The 37-year-old previously missed around two and a half months during the 2024 season due to a calf injury.
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Cubs' Ryan Brasier: Spring struggles continue
Rotowire
Brasier allowed four runs on four hits while retiring just one batter in Monday's Cactus League game against Atlanta.
It was a nightmarish outing for Brasier, who allowed three home runs among the five batters he faced. The veteran righty now has an 8.31 ERA this spring, and while his spot in Chicago's bullpen should still be secure, it's not the most promising start to his tenure with the team. Brasier figures to get an opportunity to right the ship once the regular season begins and work in a setup role ahead of Ryan Pressly and Porter Hodge, though he could be supplanted by other relievers if his struggles continue.
The Dodgers traded Brasier to the Cubs on Tuesday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Dodgers will also send cash to Chicago to help pay some of the $4.5 million Brasier is owed in 2025. The veteran reliever was designated for assignment by Los Angeles on Thursday to make room for Kirby Yates. However, he has a good chance to handle high-leverage innings with his new squad after posting a 1.89 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over 66.2 frames during his time with the Dodgers.
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Dodgers' Ryan Brasier: Loses roster spot
Rotowire
Brasier was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The Dodgers made their signing of Kirby Yates official, with Brasier losing his spot on the roster as a result. Brasier had a strong 3.54 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 25:5 K:BB across 28 innings in 2024, so he has a good shot to land elsewhere either via a waiver claim or trade.
