Ben Brown has spinal surgery, but will return in 2027

This is the news many of us were expecting, reported by Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic:

Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown underwent successful cervical spine surgery Monday, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Brown is expected to start a throwing progression in the new year, and the hope is he will be ready for game action during the first half of the 2027 season.

So, this can probably be viewed as good news. Brown had a neck issue in 2024 that apparently was mis-diagnosed, and it recurred last summer and finally the team got a proper diagnosis:

When the issue recurred in 2026, the…