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The Cubs recalled right-hander Ben Brown from Triple-A Iowa before their series opener against the Royals and optioned reliever Ethan Roberts.
Brown spent just shy of four weeks in Triple-A, sent down to clear a spot in the rotation before left-hander Shota Imanaga returned from the injured list (strained left hamstring) in late June.
The Cubs had Brown take off almost two weeks before his first start for the Iowa Cubs. In two outings, he threw a total of nine innings and limited opponents to four hits and one run.
“A lot of it was to give him a little bit of a rest, frankly, too,” Counsell said.