Ben Brown’s Return Looms Large as Cubs Could Sure Use More Out-Getters

At the risk of turning a molehill into a mountain, I find myself growing more than a little concerned by the Cubs being walked off in three of their last five games. That’s not so much a knee-jerk reaction to Jacob Webb‘s blown saves or Ryan Zeferjahn‘s poor performance since coming over at the trade deadline and more about how those factors compound the rotation issues that may be magnified by playoff baseball. Then again, it’s possible the combination of injury activations and a shift in strategy will ensure that every little thing is gonna be alright.

We’ve already had a little bit of a freak-out when it comes to Matthew Boyd‘s recent performance and what it says about a shortened postseason rotation, so I’m going to carry on assuming everyone has that context. And you don’t even need to have read that piece to get it, because Craig Counsell has talked about it as well.

“I would say we don’t have [a No. 1 playoff starter],” Craig Counsell told reporters recently. “I don’t think many teams do. I think there are some teams that do. We don’t.

“We’re going to have some decisions at some point with that, but right now I don’t think I would consider anybody that.”

Boyd was the favorite for the role heading into the deadline, and he has vocalized a desire to be that No. 1, but his performance in August is working against him. Kevin Gausman was acquired to win playoff games, and he’s flashed that form. Clay Holmes showed again on Tuesday night that he has the stuff it’ll take to beat good teams, especially with that defense behind him, and he’d be my pick to lead the way.

Now, the argument can be made that the starters don’t actually matter nearly as much as myself and others are making it seem. Which is to say that shortening the rotation means having a bullpen filled with multi-inning relievers who can be deployed situationally. While that is a very valid point with more than a little merit, my concern then goes to whether Counsell has enough out-getters to cover 4-5 innings each game.

Zeferjahn has been spraying his fastball around more than he did with the Angels, leading to more walks and way fewer whiffs. Webb has been walked off in each of his last two outings. Daniel Palencia is fresh off his second IL stint and still needs to settle in. Javier Assad is back in Iowa to stay stretched out. Colin Rea‘s 10th-percentile whiff rate and 12th-percentile strikeout rate don’t exactly scream that he’s a high-leverage guy.

Not that every reliever needs to be able to strike out the side in the 8th inning of a close game, but every inning takes on extra magnitude when it could mean the difference between moving on or going on vacation. That’s why getting Ben Brown back is more important than ever. The big righty had established himself as the de facto staff ace before going down with a recurrence of the stress reaction in his neck that shut him down in 2024.

He’s back to pitching in live games down in Mesa, which means a rehab assignment should be coming soon. Coming back in a relief role means he won’t need as many outings to ramp back up, at which point he’ll be able to empty the tank rather than conserving energy for longer outings. That could make his upgraded repertoire, complete with the sinker he learned from Holmes in the offseason, all the more effective.

I don’t even want to put much faith in Justin Steele being able to pitch meaningful innings during the regular season, let alone the playoffs, but he’s also getting ready to start a rehab assignment. Then there’s Shelby Miller, who is 10 months removed from his second Tommy John and a little over five years removed from an utterly forgettable first stint with the Cubs. Miller is throwing his fastball harder than ever and has struck out 10 with one walk over 5.2 relief outings for Knoxville and Iowa.

Rather than pinning the Cubs’ hopes on any one reliever, which would be foolish even if we were talking about a proven elite closer, my optimism is growing as I think about the myriad options Counsell could have by late September. Having choices is the key, as there have been times when it felt as though the manager was being forced to reach blindly into a hat to see who could pitch that day.

Hey, it’s kinda fun when you start out worried and end up feeling a lot more positive. I should try that more often.