Cubs pitcher Ben Brown 'hell-bent' on bouncing back from up-and-down 2025

MESA, Ariz. — Cubs right-hander Ben Brown has sat through long drives to each of his Cactus League appearances this spring.

On Friday, it was halfway across the valley to Peoria for a night game. Last weekend, it was to Glendale. But his first start of the spring was the farthest commute, more than an hour to Surprise.

‘‘It’s exciting to start new and to see your name on a lineup card again,’’ Brown said after that start Feb. 23, in which he pitched two scoreless innings against the Royals. ‘‘I feel extremely blessed just to have this opportunity to go out there and pitch, and I’m thankful for it. So there were a lot of emotions driving over here today, just a lot of excitement. I’m grateful for new beginnings, new starts, and I felt awesome.’’

Brown entered his start Friday with a spotless spring ERA and only three hits allowed in four innings. He struggled, however, against the Padres, allowing three runs and three hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.

Spring training is just the beginning of a nearly nine-month slog through 162 regular-season games and, ideally, a deep postseason run. For Brown, however, it’s also a check point after a intensive offseason program.

‘‘I’ll give Ben credit,’’ manager Craig Counsell said. ‘‘The day the [2025] season ended, he had a plan.’’

The way Brown describes it, it was ‘‘all-encompassing,’’ covering mental, mechanical and physical aspects to go with changes in his arsenal. He spent much of the offseason working with Mets right-hander Clay Holmes, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said.

Brown entered spring training more physically imposing. He has been throwing a new sinker in Cactus League outings while continuing to work on his changeup.

‘‘I was taking all accountability for where things went wrong last year, ultra-accountability,’’ Brown said. ‘‘It wasn’t anyone’s fault but mine how things went. And I wanted to identify all the issues I had. And I wanted to make the best out of them and work on them and learn from them and really have an opportunity to show I can do more, I’m capable of more. And I was hell-bent on doing that.’’

Hottovy has taken it upon himself to guide Brown back to some of the positives from last season, as well. Along with the lows, Brown had some dominant starts against strong lineups. And though he fell out of the rotation and finished with a 5.92 ERA, he also achieved a major goal of his: staying healthy.

‘‘And now you use that to springboard this season,’’ Hottovy said.

Padres 3, Cubs 0

Only one of the Padres’ three runs against Cubs starter Ben Brown came on a hit. The first scored on a bases-loaded walk and the third on a wild pitch. They were the first runs Brown had allowed this spring.

• As World Baseball Classic pool play got underway, several Cubs made notable contributions to their national teams. Right-hander Javier Assad pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Mexico in an 8-2 victory against Great Britain.

• Outfielder Seiya Suzuki scored both times he reached base to help lift Japan past Chinese Taipei 13-0 in a game cut to seven innings by the mercy rule.

• Closer Daniel Palencia pitched a hitless ninth inning and struck out two for Venezuela in a 6-2 victory against the Netherlands.

• On deck: Athletics at Cubs, 2:05 p.m. Saturday, Mesa, 104.3-FM, Mason Barnett vs. Shota Imanaga.