Cubs To Promote Ben Brown

The Cubs will name up right-hander Ben Brown from Triple-A at present, in response to FanSided’s Robert Murray (via X).  Brown will seemingly take the roster spot of Justin Steele, who’s ticketed for the 15-day injured checklist after suffering a hamstring injury on Opening Day.

It will additionally seem that Brown will take over Steele’s place within the rotation in the intervening time, with Brown lined as much as make his MLB debut on both Tuesday or Wednesday when the Cubs host the Rockies.  It will likely be fairly the second for 24-year-old Brown, whose professional profession started as a Thirty third-round draft choose for the Phillies in 2017 when accidents contributed to his fall down the board.  As famous by Baseball America’s scouting report, Brown has needed to overcome a burst appendix, a Tommy John surgical procedure, an elbow pressure, and a while on the Covid-related injured checklist earlier than lastly getting wholesome in 2022 and getting some prolonged time on the mound.

That season led to one other change for Brown, when Philadelphia dealt him to the Cubs on the commerce deadline within the David Robertson deal.  Making his Triple-A debut in 2023, Brown posted a 5.33 ERA in 72 2/3 innings for Iowa earlier than lacking a couple of month with a lat downside.

A 15.8% stroll charge was the most important think about Brown’s Triple-A struggles, and he has often skilled some management issues in previous years as properly.  The strikeout potential is clear, nonetheless, as Brown has a 31.1% strikeout charge over his 297 profession minor league innings, and each Baseball America and MLB Pipeline give 60-grades to his fastball and curve, with Pipeline including a 60 to his slider as properly.  Clearly Brown has loads of stuff, although each scouting shops surprise if his future would possibly in the end be as a reliever if he can’t keep wholesome or ship extra constant management.

Till that call must be made, the Cubs will see what Brown can do as a starter.  Between Steele’s hamstring subject and Jameson Taillon already on the IL with again issues, Chicago has needed to made some early dips in its rotation depth, which allowed each Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks to make the Opening Day rotation.  Assad and Wicks have restricted MLB expertise, and Brown and NPB import Shota Imanaga have by no means pitched within the majors, leaving Kyle Hendricks as far and away essentially the most skilled wholesome starter in Wrigleyville.  Veteran Drew Smyly was slotted for bullpen work quite than the beginning rotation, and it looks like the Cubs will preserve Smyly in that function even with Steele now sidelined.