Jed Hoyer offers encouraging Ben Brown update with Cubs' October hopes looming

It took longer than most of us hoped, but Ben Brown finally put all the reliever talk to rest with a dominant six-week showing from early May until the middle of June. He made eight starts in that time, compiling a brilliant 1.70 ERA and 2.37 FIP while striking out one in every four batters he saw.

Unfortunately, as has been the case for the Chicago Cubs for much of the season, the injury bug abruptly halted all the momentum he had created. A neck injury sidelined him after a June 19 start against the Toronto Blue Jays, and he's been out ever since, getting transferred to the 60-day injured list right after the trade deadline.

There's been rumblings about him potentially returning down the stretch, and the flames of that fire were stoked over the weekend when he threw a bullpen session at Wrigley Field. Now, Jed Hoyer is giving us our best indication yet that the breakout right-hander should be a factor in one way or another before the regular season ends.

Cubs' improved pitching staff can welcome Ben Brown back in whatever role he's most comfortable in

Hoyer didn't go so far as to commit to any firm timeline with Brown, instead merely suggesting that he's on track to return before October. His wording on the topic continues to be intentionally vague, but it's at least nice to hear that there aren't any setbacks that we need to brace for at the moment.

Once he does return, it'd probably be foolish to expect Brown to step right back into the rotation. His hiatus is extending into lengthy territory, and he's simply running out of time to stretch out as a starter. As such, it may be time to revive that reliever talk, at least for the rest of 2026.

Putting Brown in the bullpen would give Craig Counsell an embarrassment of long-relief riches to work with, as the roster already includes Javier Assad, Aaron Civale, and Colin Rea in that role. David Peterson also appears to be in line for some bulk bullpen work as well, though the health of other members of the rotation will determine exactly how he's deployed the rest of the way.

Thankfully, the Cubs are no longer in a position where they have to force Brown to rush back. Their playoff rotation is already nearly set with Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and Matthew Boyd in tow, and one of Shota Imanaga or Edward Cabrera should be able to handle the fourth spot if and when they're needed.

Because of that newfound stability, we can treat whatever Brown gives us down the stretch as icing on the cake. So long as he's healthy and not in danger of reaggravating his neck, his return will be a welcome one.

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