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At the beginning of this season, the Chicago Cubs rookie who was dominating headlines was Shota Imanaga based on his historically low ERA that hadn't been seen in decades.
As the Japanese phenom continued to impress, another one of their rookies quietly started to make a name for himself. Ben Brown was promoted and used in different roles for a team that desperately needed reliable arms at that time.
Coming up the minor league ranks as a starting pitcher, he was utilized out of the bullpen in the MLB at times, rotating between being the starter and coming on as a reliever.
That's what impressed Cubs manager Craig Counsell and Brown's teammates so much.
Despite being used in completely different roles that requires different mindsets, the star prospect posted a 2.11 ERA in April and a ridiculous 1.16 ERA in May across 12 total outings and six starts.
Unfortunately, during his seven no-hit innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 28, he felt a pain in his neck he thought he could fight through. He stayed in the mix and started two games against the Cincinnati Reds in June that saw him allow eight earned runs during nine innings pitched.
That prompted Brown and Chicago to get imaging done.
He was then diagnosed with a strain in his neck and was placed on the injured list.
After getting multiple opinions from different doctors, this was considered something that stemmed from a stress reaction and was expected to keep him sidelined for up to three months.
However, it sounds like the Cubs could be getting him back much sooner than that.
According to the team's injury report page, Counsell said, "The initial diagnosis is not something we're operating under right now, which is good news ... And we think that as this goes, this can move on much more quickly."
How quickly will be determined by how much pain Brown can tolerate.
"I can't have the discomfort that I had against Cincinnati, but I can have the discomfort that I had against Milwaukee. It's just a matter of how much I can handle," he told Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune.
On June 18, the 24-year-old started a throwing program after doctors were "not concerned" with the updated imaging they received. He has worked his way up to playing catch at 90 feet.
When Brown will make his return to the field is unknown, but there's a good chance he'll be throwing impact innings for the Cubs again in 2024.
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MLB playoff takeaways: Yankees stay alive; Mariners inch closer to ALCS
The 2025 MLB playoffs continued on Tuesday with both American League Division Series matchups in action. The Seattle Mariners dominated the Detroit Tigers with an 8–4 victory, taking a 2–1 lead in the series. The New York Yankees stayed alive against the Toronto Blue Jays, rallying from a five-run deficit to win 9–6 and trim the series gap to 2–1. Here are key takeaways from Tuesday's games: Mariners jump out early and never look back The Mariners wasted no time taking control in Game 3, plating four runs in the first two innings, immediately putting the Tigers on their heels. J.P. Crawford opened the scoring with a third-inning single that brought home Victor Robles, aided by a throwing error from Riley Greene. Detroit never recovered from the early miscue, as Seattle set the tone for a commanding offensive performance — posting its highest run total in a road game since Sept. 17. The long ball was present in the win for the Mariners, with Seattle launching three home runs. Eugenio Suárez struck the first homer with a solo shot in the fourth inning, and Cal Raleigh capped Seattle's scoring with a ninth-inning blast that landed in the hands of a Mariners fan. On the mound, Logan Gilbert was sharp, tossing six strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven. With the win, Seattle takes a 2–1 lead in the series and moves within one victory of its first AL Championship Series appearance since 2001. Aaron Judge earns his moment in historic comeback win Facing elimination at home, the Yankees roared back from a five-run deficit — the largest comeback in franchise history in a postseason elimination game, per Fox Sports — to stun the Toronto Blue Jays, 9–6. Trailing 6–1 after the top of the third inning, the Yankees ignited a rally with two runs in the bottom half to narrow the deficit to three. In the fourth, Judge delivered his long-awaited postseason moment, blasting a three-run home run off the left foul pole to tie the game at 6–6. New York tacked on three more runs across the fifth and sixth innings to grab a 9–6 lead, sealing the comeback. David Bednar slammed the door with a five-out save, ending Toronto’s attempt at a late push. With the win, the Yankees narrow the series gap to 2–1 and head into Wednesday’s Game 4 with a chance to send the series back to Toronto for a winner-take-all Game 5.
Jacksonville Jaguars Announce Unfortunate Decision After Win Against Chiefs
The Jacksonville Jaguars ended their 16-year losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night after a thrilling 31-28 victory at EverBank Stadium. Trevor Lawrence turned in another strong performance to help lead the Jaguars to victory with 18-of-25 completed passes for 221 yards and one touchdown. It wasn’t all good news for the Jaguars, though, who improved to 4-1 after taking down Patrick Mahomes and the mighty Chiefs. They lost starting tight end Brenton Strange in the first half after the former Penn State Nittany Lions star suffered a hip injury. Strange was unable to return to the game, and tests have determined a significant quad issue for the 24-year-old. The Jaguars took to social media on Tuesday to announce that Strange has been placed on injured reserve (IR), which means he will be forced to miss at least four games due to his hip problem. “The Jacksonville Jaguars have made the following roster moves: Placed TE Brenton Strange on injured reserve Signed WR Tim Jones to the practice squad Released WR Erik Ezukanma from the practice squad,” JaguarsPR posted on X. In five games played this season, Strange has already registered a team-high 20 catches for 204 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown yet, but is currently on pace to set career-high receiving marks. This injury is a tough blow amid his strong start, and the hope is that Strange will be able to pick up where he left off once he’s healthy enough to return. The silver lining for the Jaguars here is that Strange has reportedly avoided a season-ending injury, and the team expects him to be back in around a month. For now, Jacksonville will need to turn to the likes of Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long to fill the void at tight end. The Jaguars also announced on Tuesday that they’ve brought in WR Tim Jones to the practice squad, while Erik Ezukanma has been released. It remains to be seen if Jones will be able to do enough to earn a spot on the active roster. Jacksonville’s next game is on Sunday as they take on the 3-2 Seattle Seahawks in a home game at EverBank Stadium for Week 6.
Commanders’ latest pursuit ends in uncertainty and uneasy silence
The Washington Commanders wanted to take a look at another once-promising edge rusher to give one of the team's surprising strengths a boost. However, early indications suggest that nothing will come from the visit. Adam Schefter from ESPN reported that the Commanders were among three teams that had scheduled meetings with Drake Jackson. Peters was part of the San Francisco 49ers front office that spent a second-round pick on the explosive pass-rusher, but injuries have decimated his time in the NFL so far. Jackson was let go by the Niners after barely featuring for the best part of two seasons. He was a gifted player in college, but San Francisco felt it was one roadblock too many for the player to overcome. Drake Jackson left the Commanders without a deal after his recent visit Peters wanted to know for sure. The NFL's transaction wire revealed that the Commanders spent time with Jackson on Tuesday, which probably involved a workout of some kind and some medical assessments as part of the team's due diligence. Jackson left without a deal. He's also set to meet with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, which might have something to do with it. But if the Commanders were 100 percent convinced that the former USC standout had something to offer, chances are that Peters wouldn't have let him leave the building. The Commanders' pass-rush has been among the team's biggest surprises this season. Fans were highly concerned about the lack of genuine quality or depth. Still, they've silenced their doubters and a whole lot more over the opening five weeks, generating pressure consistently and being among the most prolific teams against the run for good measure. Upsetting the current dynamic doesn't seem right now. At the same time, Peters is continually seeking ways to improve. He obviously saw something in Jackson during the Niners' pre-draft evaluations, but he'd have to be in supreme shape to make an impact. That might be the case, but it's not guaranteed. The Ravens might be in a better position to offer Jackson a roster spot. They recently traded Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers, so there could be an opening if everything goes well during that meeting. Washington is willing to adopt a wait-and-see approach, and Peters will have other options in mind if he's not entirely convinced. For fans, it's a waiting game. But they can relax, safe in the knowledge that those currently around are having the desired impact right now.
Denzel Ward reveals what the Browns are trying to do after Joe Flacco trade
After quite a whirlwind week, the Cleveland Browns currently sit with a record of 1-4 as Week 6 of the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night. The Browns have been the subject of many conversations over the course of the past few weeks, with their most recent headline making waves mid-day on Tuesday with a surprising inner-division trade with their in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland decided to part ways with their veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco, which paved the road for their rookies to make more of an immediate impact sooner rather than later. This move has raised questions in various aspects, with the most important being whether the Browns are ready to focus more on next season, which would ultimately put an end to any conversations of winning this season. That conversation seems to hold very little merit, as Browns star cornerback Denzel Ward commented on the trade of Flacco in response to how their season outlook stands. “That’s what this team is about”, “We’re trying to win and bring one to the city and the organization…we’re close”, Denzel Ward said in his press conference on Wednesday. Ward has been a part of the Browns organization for eight years now, which has featured a pair of winning seasons that’s given players a taste of what winning means to the city of Cleveland and their fans starved of victory. With Ward’s comments on where the team stands after their surprising trade, it might seem difficult to buy into his promising comments that the team still wants to win. Cleveland’s defense has been stellar this season most of the way, ranking second in the league in yards allowed per game, but surrendering 24.6 points per game, which is 21st in the league overall. Ward happened to be involved in the game-winning touchdown for Minnesota this past Sunday after giving up a go-ahead touchdown to Vikings receiver Jordan Addison with 25 seconds left in the game, in which he took full responsibility for. His focus this week has shifted back to playing his brand of football along with a stout secondary Cleveland brings, and to prevent any sort of lead change down the stretch, which the Browns led a majority of the game this past week. “That’s all we preach about in these meetings and why we're here is to find a way to win”, “that’s still the 100% goal," Ward said. The Browns have a lot of work to do this week as they prepare for their road trip to Pittsburgh this weekend, a game that will require a great defensive outing from Cleveland’s defense if they hope to find a way to win against a 3-1 Steelers team.
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