Chicago Cubs rookie right-hander Ben Brown never wants to be kept off the mound.
So when Brown thought he was dealing with a bothersome neck issue last month, he figured he could grind through it. But as the discomfort became significant, Brown soon realized this wasn’t just a stiff neck. After going through tests and gathering doctors’ consensus, Brown learned Monday that he has a “benign area of concern” in his neck that is already dissipating.
“The last week has been a roller coaster of emotion just figuring out what’s going on, so I’m looking forward to the progression and moving forward,” Brown told the Tribune on Friday. “My head’s been all over the place with stress and not knowing what’s going on.”
“It’s been tough. There were points last week where I was going to bed thinking it’s going to be a pretty hard shutdown for a while and then even now just waiting on it basically to clear up and feel better.”
His last two starts June 2 and 8, both against the Cincinnati Reds, proved to be physically tough because of the ailment and ultimately prompted Brown to get imaging, though he already had been feeling it when he threw seven no-hit innings May 28 in Milwaukee.
“I want to pitch through anything, I want to be out there,” Brown said. “It could have been X,Y and Z. And luckily, it’s none of that stuff. It’s just something that randomly is there. I couldn’t have done anything about it. It wasn’t in my preparation, it’s not in my posture, it’s just there.”
Brown played catch three times this week, working up to 90 feet, but manager Craig Counsell described his situation Friday as day-to-day. The Cubs will look to increase activities as long as Brown doesn’t experience any symptoms. Brown was told Monday when he received his diagnosis that this typically involves a two- to three-month burnout period with the presumption that he already has endured the first month, which tends to be the worst physically.
“I can’t have the discomfort that I had against Cincinnati, but I can have the discomfort that I had against Milwaukee,” Brown explained. “It’s just a matter of how much I can handle.”
Through the first almost three months of the season, the Cubs rotation has managed to overcome injuries to starters to be among the best staffs in the majors. They entered Friday staff with a 3.41 ERA, the second-lowest in the National League and fifth in the majors. Cubs starters have allowed two runs or fewer in 47 of 75 games to lead the NL.
But in a rarity Friday, left-hander Shota Imanaga was hit hard against the New York Mets in his worst outing of the season. The Mets slugged three home runs off Imanaga, part of 11 hits and 10 runs he allowed in three-plus innings during the Cubs’ 11-1 blowout loss. The Cubs (36-40) managed just one unearned run and four hits off lefty José Quintana, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the day.
Photos: Chicago Cubs lose to the New York Mets 11-1 at Wrigley Field
With Brown and left-hander Jordan Wicks (right oblique strain) on the injured list, it presents an opportunity for the young pitchers to watch, listen and absorb more from teammates while forced out of action.
“You don’t know when the teacher appears, as I like to say,” Counsell said. “You just have your ears and eyes open to that.”
The injuries to Brown and Wicks forced veteran Kyle Hendricks back into the rotation after spending three weeks in the bullpen following a disastrous start to his season. Hendricks dazzled Wednesday in his first start since May 17, holding the San Francisco Giants to one run in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts, his most in nearly three years. Even after his best outing of the season, Hendricks made clear he didn’t earn to move back to the rotation, citing the two injuries.
Brown, though, dismissed Hendricks’ claim and is excited to watch him start again.
“He works his tail off, it literally wouldn’t surprise me if he does that the rest of the season because of how good he is,” Brown said. “Our team’s at its best when Kyle’s starting. When Kyle Hendricks is Kyle Hendricks, our team is the best it can be. Everyone in the locker room, every pitcher knows that. When Kyle’s doing his thing, we’re a really good team.”