Ben Brown suffers neck injury setback during Cubs rehab appearance

Chicago Cubs right-hander Ben Brown has suffered a setback in his recovery from a neck injury. During a rehab appearance in Arizona, Brown experienced worsening symptoms related to a stress fracture in a neck vertebra.

Manager Craig Counsell stated that the injury will likely “slow it down in some way” and confirmed that Brown will return to Chicago to be evaluated by team doctors. Brown has been sidelined since late June and was moved to the 60-day injured list in August.

The setback comes at a critical time for the Cubs' pitching staff, which has struggled with bullpen consistency and various injuries throughout the season. Brown had been performing well prior to his injury, posting a 1.70 ERA in eight starts.