The Cubs optioned Brown to Triple-A Iowa on Monday.
He's being sent down to make room on the active roster for the return of Michael Soroka (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Brown has made 15 starts and 10 relief appearances for the Cubs this season, posting a 5.92 ERA and 121:32 K:BB over 106.1 frames.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Takes loss in relief
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Brown (5-8) allowed two runs on a hit and two walks across 1.1 innings of relief to take the loss Wednesday against Atlanta. He struck out three.
Brown worked around a walk and a wild pitch to log a scoreless sixth inning while striking out the side, but he ran into more trouble in the seventh. The young righty allowed a hit and another walk, while also uncorking a second wild pitch, before getting the hook. Drew Pomeranz then allowed both inherited runners to score when he served up a three-run home run. Brown continues to miss plenty of bats, as demonstrated by his 10.2 K/9 this season, but he hasn't found consistent success. He now has a 5.98 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 105.1 innings.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Picks up three-inning save
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Brown allowed one run on two hits and struck out three without walking a batter over three innings to earn the save in Saturday's 12-1 win over the Angels.
Brown earned the first save of his major-league career, throwing 30 of 44 pitches for strikes in this outing. The right-hander probably won't be in the mix for more traditional save chances, as Daniel Palencia has thrived as the Cubs' closer this year. Brown has made his last three appearances out of the bullpen, though they've been spaced far enough apart that he is still ostensibly on a starter's schedule if he has to make a spot start at some point. Over 22 appearances (15 starts), Brown has a 5.82 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 111:30 K:BB through 102 innings this season.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Solid in relief Tuesday
Rotowire
Brown allowed one run on four hits and a walk across four innings of relief in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
Brown was originally expected to start Tuesday's contest, but it was Javier Assad (oblique) who ended up with that honor in his season debut. Assad allowed four runs on eight hits in his four innings of work, with Brown looking sharper in long relief. Even with Brown turning in a good performance, his opportunity as a starter this year may have run its course, as Assad is now healthy and Jameson Taillon (calf) is expected back from the injured list soon. Brown will likely settle into a bullpen role with the Cubs getting healthier in their rotation.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: No longer starting Tuesday
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Brown is no longer expected to start Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays after the Cubs activated Javier Assad (oblique) from the 60-day injured list, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Assad will take the bump and make his 2025 season debut after throwing 18.1 innings across five rehab starts. It's unclear if the Cubs will move Brown's turn back in the rotation or send him to the bullpen. Brown has struggled to a 6.04 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 104:27 K:BB across 92.1 innings of work this season.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Picking up start Tuesday
Rotowire
Brown is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Brown was moved to the bullpen after the Cubs acquired Michael Soroka ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, but Brown will temporarily move back into the rotation after Soroka strained his right shoulder in his team debut during last Monday's 3-2 loss to the Reds and landed on the injured list. In that same game, Brown came on in long relief and struck out five over four innings, so he should be stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload Tuesday. Brown may be in line for just one turn through the rotation, as Jameson Taillon (calf) and Javier Assad (oblique) are both in the midst of rehab assignments and could be ready to return from the IL the next time a fifth starter is needed.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Fills in admirably Monday
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Brown allowed one run on two hits across four innings of relief in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Reds. He struck out five.
The newly acquired Michael Soroka made the start for the Cubs, but he only lasted two innings in his team debut before departing due to right shoulder discomfort. Brown was then thrust into action, and the young righty responded with one of his best performances over the past few months. Soroka had seemingly pushed Brown out of the rotation upon his arrival in Chicago, but it remains to be seen if the former has to miss any extended time. If he does, Brown and his 6.04 ERA could be back in a starting role at least temporarily, though the Cubs do also have Jameson Taillon (calf) likely returning from the injured list in the near future.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Looks to be out of rotation
Rotowire
Brown is no longer listed as the Cubs' probable starter for Saturday's game against the Orioles,Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.
Brown was originally scheduled to make a second straight turn through the rotation this weekend, but the Cubs are now listing Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea as their three starters for the series versus Baltimore. The shakeup in the pitching schedule comes after the Cubs acquired another starter Wednesday in Michael Soroka, whose arrival presumably bumps Brown out of the rotation. It's unclear if Brown will stick on the 26-man active roster as a reliever, or if he will be optioned to Triple-A Iowa to continue to stay stretched out as a starter.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Breezes to fifth win
Rotowire
Brown (5-7) earned the win Sunday against the White Sox, allowing one run on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts over five innings.
The only blemish on Brown's short, 57-pitch outing was an Andrew Benintendi solo shot in the opening frame. Otherwise, the 25-year-old right-hander steamrolled through the Chicago lineup with his fastball touching 97.9 mph while averaging 96.2 mph (up slightly from his season mark of 95.8 mph). Brown now owns a 6.22 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 99:27 K:BB across 88.1 total frames. His future role with the big-league club is unknown as Jameson Taillon (calf) threw a 47-pitch bullpen session Friday and is slated for an early August return. If Brown sticks in the rotation, his next turn currently lines up to come against Baltimore at home next weekend.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Getting start Sunday
Rotowire
Brown will start Sunday's game versus the White Sox at Rate Field, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Brown returned from a nearly month-long stint in the minors July 21 and gave up seven runs (six earned) over four innings in long relief one day later against Kansas City. Despite that rough outing, the Cubs are giving the right-hander another opportunity to start, though it may not be a permanent move back into the rotation since Jameson Taillon (calf) is on track to return from the injured list in the first half of August. Brown has posted an impressive 10.3 K/9 across 83.1 innings spanning 17 appearances (14 starts) on the campaign, but the rest of his numbers have been mostly poor, including a 6.48 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 4-7 record.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Falters in long relief
Rotowire
Brown (4-7) took the loss against Kansas City on Monday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out four batters over four innings.
After nearly a month in the minors, Brown was summoned back to the big club Monday to work in bulk relief behind opener Ryan Brasier. While Brown did manage to eat up four frames on 63 pitches, he wasn't very effective and was especially stung by the long ball -- he gave up a pair of homers to account for three of the runs against him. The right-hander has dazzled at times this season, including during a two-outing stretch in late May and early June during which he allowed two runs and posted a 16:2 K:BB over 13 frames, but that just makes his overall struggles more frustrating. Brown is at a 6.48 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across 83.1 innings on the season, and it remains to be seen how long he'll stick on the big-league roster after his latest poor appearance.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: May see smaller workload in minors
Rotowire
Brown could see his workload reduced a bit at Triple-A Iowa as the Cubs seek to keep him fresh for an eventual return to the majors, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Brown is slated to still start games for the Iowa Cubs, though he could face an innings limit or potentially see some work in long relief. The team also wants the young righty to keep developing his changeup and improve his control, as he walked 27 batters in 79.1 innings for Chicago before his demotion. Brown has the stuff to make an impact again in the majors this season, though fantasy managers will likely need to be patient.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cubs optioned Brown to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
The Cubs were going to need to clear a spot in the rotation for Shota Imanaga's (hamstring) return later this week, and Brown sealed his fate when he got rocked for eight runs over five innings in Monday's start versus the Cardinals. The righty has offered occasional flashes of brilliance, but they've come with rough patches as well, and Brown will carry a 6.13 ERA back to Iowa.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Holds Brewers in check in win
Rotowire
Brown (4-5) recorded the win Tuesday against the Brewers, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out five.
The long ball remained an issue for Brown, who gave up at least one home run in his third consecutive start, but he was able to limit the damage despite surrendering four extra-base hits. It was the third time in the 25-year-old right-hander's last three starts that he threw at least five innings while allowing two runs or fewer, which has helped improve his ERA to 5.57 to go with a 1.48 WHIP and 88:25 K:BB across 74.1 innings for the season. Brown has still conceded at least five runs on five occasions in 2025, so he should be considered a volatile fantasy option this weekend in a challenging test versus the Mariners.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Hit hard in Wednesday's loss
Rotowire
Brown (3-5) took the loss Wednesday as the Cubs fell 7-2 to the Phillies, coughing up six runs on eight hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
Half of the hits off Brown went for extra bases, including a massive 431-foot solo shot to right field by Kyle Schwarber and a triple by Nick Castellanos that missed leaving the yard by an inch or two, both in the third inning. It's the third time in his last five starts that Brown has been tagged for at least six runs, and while the other two outings in that time were quality starts, his ERA has swollen to 5.71 as a consequence. The right-hander will look for a better result in his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Brewers.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Goes seven innings in loss
Rotowire
Brown (3-4) took the loss against the Tigers on Friday, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over seven innings.
Brown generated 15 whiffs on 92 pitches and held his own against Tarik Skubal before surrendering a solo homer in the sixth inning. It marked the 25-year-old's first quality start since May 2, and he's now allowed just two earned runs over 13 frames in his past two outings. He'll carry a 5.37 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 78:20 K:BB across 63.2 innings into another tough matchup with the Phillies next week.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Thrives in bulk role Saturday
Rotowire
Brown tossed six scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision Saturday against the Reds. He allowed a hit and a walk, while striking out nine.
Brown followed opener Drew Pomeranz, and the former turned in arguably his best performance of the year, though he couldn't snag the win as the Cubs scored all their runs in the eighth inning after Brown had departed. The righty matched his season high in strikeouts and innings pitched, and he lowered his ERA to 5.72 in the process. Brown still has some work to do with his ERA after allowing a total of 14 runs over his previous two outings, though Saturday's performances was a clear step in the right direction for the 25-year-old. He'll look to carry some momentum into his next scheduled start, which is tentatively penciled in for Friday against a tough Detroit squad.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Working behind opener Saturday
Rotowire
Brown is slated to pitch in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Drew Pomeranz in Saturday's game against the Reds in Chicago, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.
The left-handed-hitting TJ Friedl typically leads off for the Reds, so Cubs manager Craig Counsell will have the left-handed Pomeranz begin the game on the mound with the hope that he can keep Cincinnati off the board early. Based on comments from manager Craig Counsell, Pomeranz is likely to work just one inning before turning the ball over to Brown, who had started in each of his last 10 appearances while posting a 6.38 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 48 innings. Another rough showing as a bulk reliever could loosen Brown's grip on a rotation spot a bit more, though the Cubs don't appear to have an obvious candidate to replace him.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Struggles again in no-decision
Rotowire
Brown did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 11-8 win over the Reds, allowing eight runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Despite generating 13 whiffs on 85 pitches and limiting the Reds to just one extra-base hit, Brown was undone by a pair of four-run frames in the first and fifth innings. The 25-year-old has now been charged with 14 runs over his last two starts and has surrendered five or more earned runs in four of his 11 outings this season. He'll carry a 6.39 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 62:18 K:BB across 50.2 innings into a rematch with the Reds at home next weekend.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Unravels in no-decision
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Brown took a no-decision in Monday's 8-7 loss at Miami, allowing six runs on seven hits and no walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out eight.
Things were rough out the gate for Brown, as he yielded back-to-back homers to Jesus Sanchez and Agustin Ramirez to open the first frame. The Chicago right-hander was then cruising, as evidenced by his impressive 16 whiffs in 83 total pitches, until the fifth inning, when the Marlins plated four additional runs. Brown's inconsistent season continues with his ERA now standing at 5.44 through 46.1 innings; however, the 25-year-old has also pitched to a 3.50 FIP and 58:16 K:BB. He currently lines up to make his next start at Cincinnati this weekend.
