Ben Brown brings missing piece as Cubs' fifth starter

Ben Brown threw 4 1/3 innings on the final day of spring training Tuesday at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.John Antonoff/Sun-Times

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MESA, Ariz. — Manager Craig Counsell formally announced Tuesday that right-hander Ben Brown would be the fifth starter in the Cubs’ rotation.

Brown represents a different option for the Cubs, whose starting pitchers have struggled to get strikeouts. Cubs starters finished 25th in the majors last season in strikeout rate. But in 55\u2153 innings in 2024, including eight starts, Brown had a strikeout rate of 32.5%, which would have been the highest among starters if he had been in the rotation all year.

“This is just about being a good pitcher, and everybody…