The Chicago Cubs currently sit in third place in the National League Central with a 41-37 record, but ahead of a crucial doubleheader with the New York Mets, the team have suffered some unfortunate injuries.
Already in 2026, the pitching staff has been dismantled by injury, with Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd all currently sitting on the Injured List, and on Wednesday, they announced an unfortunate decision on a third-year starter as the injuries continue to pile up in Chicago.
Ben Brown Heads to Injured List
GettyBen Brown of the Chicago Cubs.
While not one of the most important or biggest names in the Chicago Cubs organization, 26-year-old Ben Brown has been a very solid piece for them in 2026, posting a 1.85 ERA across 68.0 innings of work thus far. With all of the injuries the Cubs have dealt with in their starting rotation, Brown has been a fantastic fit for the team despite entering the 2026 season with just 40 games of Major League Baseball experience, 23 of them being starts.
Unfortunately, the Cubs just can’t escape the injury bug, as Brown has now officially been placed on the 15-day Injured List with a neck strain.
This is an extremely tough break for the Cubs and for Brown himself, as he had firmly established himself as a key piece of the rotation this season, and while he’s expected back long before the likes of Taillon and Steele (who is expected to miss the rest of 2026), this is still a tough break for a pitcher that had just found his rhythm at the big league level.
Can the Cubs Piece Together a Starting Rotation?
With this latest injury, the Cubs are down to Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and a potentially returning Matthew Boyd this week, and given how much of a fight they’re in against tough competition in the NL Central, the Brown news is the last thing this organization needed. Unsurprisingly, the Cubs have been linked to some of the biggest starting pitchers ahead of the trade deadline, and while they can be a very good rotation when at 100%, right now they may need to go outside the organization to bolster this lineup if they have hopes of staying alive in 2026.
As for Brown, there’s optimism that he will be back very shortly, with the team expecting the stay on the Injured List to be not much longer than 15 days, and if he can find the form he began 2026 with, there’s no doubting that he’ll be a good piece for the Cubs on the backend of their rotation for quite some time to come.
In his 68.0 innings this season, Brown has struck out 65 hitters while posting a WHIP of 0.94, and for a former 33rd round pick in the MLB Draft, he’s had to fight and claw his way to the Major League level, so don’t expect that this injury setback is going to stop him from getting back to the big leagues at some point in the next few weeks.
Chicago Cubs Announce Decision on Third-Year Starting Pitcher