Cubs to Call Up Ben Brown with Justin Steele Injured

Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reported on Saturday that Ben Brown was no longer with the Iowa Cubs as the Chicago Cubs were expected to call him up. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the same, citing sources familiar with the situation.

We knew a move was coming from the Cubs after Justin Steele left the season opener against the Texas Rangers with a hamstring injury. The Cubs made it official Saturday by placing him on 15-day injured list. Brown seems to be the placeholder for now, and who knows what a few good outings could do for his 2024 season outlook.

Brown allowed only one run with 12 strikeouts in 14 innings in five Spring Training appearances. Last season with Triple-A Iowa, Brown transitioned from starter to reliever, setting the stage for a late-season debut out of the bullpen. Despite some rough outings, he was well on his way to a big-league promotion before suffering an oblique injury. 

More About Ben Brown

For those who don’t follow the minor leaguers as closely as the big-league club, Brown is a power right-handed arm the Cubs acquired in the middle of the 2022 season when they traded David Robertson to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Brown stands 6-foot-6 and throws a high-velocity fastball with one of the hardest and quickest-breaking curveballs in the game. Before the Cubs, he was thriving with Philly’s High-A team. In 16 appearances, Brown had a 3.08 ERA and 105 strikeouts against only 23 walks in 73 innings pitched.  

He made quick work of Double-A Tennessee last season, only needing four outings before a promotion to Triple-A Iowa. Beginning as a starter and finishing his season as a reliever, Brown worked 72.2 innings, racking up 100 strikeouts and a 5.33 ERA. His ERA is nothing to write home about, but the transition from starter to reliever could’ve been an adjustment period that took some getting used to. 

MLB Pipeline has Brown listed as the Cubs’ No. 10 prospect. There are a lot of positive signs from Brown, and he could play a significant role on the 2024 team if everything breaks the right way.

Ben Brown’s 2024 Role with the Cubs

Brown’s role hasn’t been defined and might never be made official by the team. Since they’re calling him up before Steele’s next scheduled start, Brown could make his debut out of the bullpen. Or perhaps Craig Counsell and the Cubs want him to be a piggyback pitcher, either as a long reliever or starter paired with someone like Drew Smyly. Since Brown doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his arm and might not have the stamina built up for a complete starter’s workload, it’s safe to assume the Cubs will cap him at a reasonable pitch count in whatever role he’s asked to fill.

Understandably, many Cubs fans are excited to see Brown pitch at the big-league level. Whether he produces immediately or not, the cup of coffee will be good for the 24-year-old righty. And if he lights it up, really showcasing his potential? The Cubs might have one of their best bullpen weapons or starting pitchers that didn’t factor into team win total projections preseason.