The Chicago Cubs are running out of arms. Fast.
On Wednesday, the team announced that right-hander Ben Brown is headed to the 15-day injured list with a neck strain. That news came just one day after the Cubs placed Edward Cabrera on the IL with a left hamstring and adductor strain suffered during Tuesday’s 9-6 win over the New York Mets.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, both pitchers are being shelved for at least two weeks. That brings the total number of Cubs starting pitchers on the IL to five. And that’s not counting the four relievers also currently sidelined, including closer Daniel Palencia, who landed on the 15-day IL earlier this week.
So yeah. Manager Craig Counsell has some creative problem-solving ahead of him.
Brown was having a career year
This one stings a little more because Brown was in the middle of a breakout season. The 26-year-old has appeared in 20 games this year — eight starts, the rest out of the bullpen — and he’s been nearly untouchable when healthy.
Through 68 innings, Brown owns a 1.85 ERA, a 0.941 WHIP and 65 strikeouts. Both of those numbers are career bests. The one knock? He leads all of MLB in wild pitches with six. But you’ll take that trade-off for a sub-2.00 ERA every time.
The Cubs brought him up as a swingman, and he’s thrived in that role. Now they’ll have to figure out who fills it for the next two weeks — or longer, depending on how the injury responds.
Rotation is a mess. But there’s one bright spot.
Matthew Boyd is finally coming back. That’s the good news. The lefty has been rehabbing and should give Chicago a legitimate arm in the rotation soon. But one guy isn’t going to fix a staff that’s lost five starters and four relievers to the IL.
The Cubs are using two healthy starters in Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Mets. Javier Assad started the early game, and Shota Imanaga is set to go in the nightcap. After that? Who knows.
Counsell might have to get creative with bullpen games, spot starts from Triple-A arms, or shorter outings from whoever’s left. It’s not ideal for a team trying to stay in the NL Central race.
For now, Chicago just has to survive. And hope the IL starts clearing out soon.
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