Cubs couldn’t delay the Ben Brown decision any longer — and fans got what they wanted

Ben Brown has been struggling all season long, and, despite some positive developments in recent outings, it's become clear that he has too much to figure out at the MLB level for a team with postseason aspirations.

Turns out, the Cubs agree with that assessment of the right-hander, because, prior to their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 24, they made the decision to demote Brown to Triple-A Iowa in order to make a spot on the 26-man roster for reliever Porter Hodge.

Cubs option Ben Brown to Triple-A, active Porter Hodge off IL

In his final start with the team prior to being demoted, Brown surrendered eight earned runs in five innings against the Cardinals, giving up four two-run home runs between the fourth and sixth innings.

A fastball-curveball pitcher, Brown remains unable to develop a much-needed third offering to round out his arsenal — his changeup has shown flashes this year, but it's far from a weapon — and may not be long for a rotation spot, at least as long as he's in Chicago.

With Shota Imanaga's impending return to the rotation on the horizon, demoting Brown and his 6.13 ERA ahead of the final few weeks before the All-Star break is a smart move. The 25-year-old still has so much potential, though perhaps a transition to the bullpen could be what unlocks the best version of Brown. His fastball velocity and strikeout rate are already among the top 30% of pitchers in MLB; shorter outings where he can unleash his top-end velocity and not have to worry about mixing in a third pitch could be just what the doctor ordered.

In his stead returns Hodge, who looked to be running away with the closer gig before suffering a strained oblique in mid-May.

In 19 1/3 innings this season Hodge has a disappointing 5.12 ERA, though his 3.79 expected ERA and elite chase rates portend much stronger results. After all, he did log a 1.88 ERA in 43.0 innings last season in his first taste of the big leagues.

With Daniel Palencia locked into the ninth inning job, expect Hodge to join Ryan Pressly, Brad Keller, and Caleb Thielbar in the late-inning mix. Craig Counsell obviously has a lot of faith in the right-handed reliever, and his upper-echelon fastball velocity should pair nicely with Palencia's ability to hurl thunderbolts.