Cubs Announce Ben Brown Will Miss Rest of Season Due to Neck Issue

In what came more as confirmation than revelation, the Cubs announced Thursday that Ben Brown will not return this season. He had been symptom-free and was nearing a rehab assignment when he experienced recurring neck pain following an outing at the team’s Mesa complex. Brown returned with the team after the Diamondbacks series and has not suffered any additional setbacks, but there simply isn’t time for his neck to heal enough for him to resume throwing competitively.

The sole focus now turns to pinpointing the cause of the stress reaction that cost him most of the 2024 season as well. Brown showed this season that he can be one of the Cubs’ best starters when he’s healthy, and there’s no reason to think he can’t be outstanding again with continued mastery of his new sinker. Figuring out the changeup could really level him up.

Again, though, the first step is to find out how to alleviate the pain in his neck and prevent it from coming back.