4 pitching injuries that derailed the 2024 Chicago Cubs season

One of the most significant factors in the Chicago Cubs' failure to make the postseason in 2024 was the score of injuries that plagued much of the roster.

On the pitching side, these injuries contributed to the team testing its inexperienced starting pitching depth and bullpen depth which ultimately proved insufficient. Although mid-season acquisitions and minor-league call-ups eventually settled the bullpen down, these four injuries proved to be instrumental to the team blowing 26 saves, racking up early losses and ultimately missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

1. Ben Brown

An injury that is still concerning to this day was the one sustained by rookie pitcher Ben Brown, who went down with a mysterious neck injury in early June which eventually ended his promising season.

Before hitting the injured list, Brown was using his electric fastball and wicked curveball to mow down opposing hitters, culminating in 7 no-hit innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 28th. Although the starting pitching eventually became a strength for the 2024 team, Brown's absence was felt for a time in the rotation and later in the bullpen.

A series of injuries and poor performance was the bullpen's story for much of the early half of 2024, and Brown could have transitioned into a relief role later on had he been healthy. Perhaps Brown could have positively impacted the blown saves category, but we'll never know.

The really concerning thing is that we haven't gotten a substantial update on Brown's status since August, and the team has reportedly "moved on" from the idea of the 25-year-old being a rotation piece next year. A relief role looks likely and he could even be in the mix to be the team's closer given his spectacular stuff. But a real update isn't expected until Spring Training kicks off in February.