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The Chicago Cubs lost sole possession of the NL Central on Sunday as the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers moved into a tie for first place in the division. The Cubs plan to battle back by addressing their pitching needs at the MLB trade deadline as Chicago hopes to bolster its underwhelming rotation. But in the meantime, the team has recalled a promising starter from the minors.
The Cubs promoted Ben Brown from Triple-A while optioning struggling reliever Ethan Roberts to Iowa, per Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network.
Brown made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2024 and pitched well in 15 appearances and eight starts. However, a neck injury ended his season in June. He began the 2025 campaign coming out of the bullpen but soon joined the rotation.
The Cubs hoped Brown could help the team overcome Justin Steele’s season-ending elbow injury. However, the 25-year-old righty got off to a rocky start.
The Cubs bring back Ben Brown to boost rotation
Brown showed flashes of dominance but ultimately struggled, with a 6.13 ERA and 1.525 WHIP in 16 appearances for Chicago. After allowing eight runs in five innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 23, the Cubs demoted Brown to the minors.
But since getting sent back to Triple-A, the second-year starter has looked sharp. Brown has produced a 1.00 ERA and 0.556 WHIP in two starts for Iowa. Now he’ll have another opportunity in the majors.
Brown will replace Roberts on the Cubs' active roster. The 27-year-old reliever allowed five earned runs over his last 2 2/3 innings, pushing his ERA to 6.00 on the season.
Regardless of Brown’s performance, the Cubs will be active at the trade deadline as they look to add a starter to the rotation.
After dominating the NL Central throughout the first half of the season, Chicago is suddenly in a battle for the division. The Brewers have won 10-straight games and 11 of their last 12, making up a four-game deficit in the last two weeks. Milwaukee is now tied with the Cubs for first place in the NL Central.
