Jed Hoyer: Ben Brown, Hayden Wesneski have been 'incredibly important' to Cubs' success

(670 The Score) In the second game of the regular season, the Cubs called upon rookie right-hander Ben Brown to join them in Texas and pitch out of the bullpen. It was an unexpected call-up necessitated by a rash of injuries, notably to ace Justin Steele in the season opener. About two weeks later, right-hander Hayden Wesneski was promoted to the big leagues.

Since then, the Cubs have leaned on Brown and Wesneski as both starters and relievers while dealing with injuries to the likes of Steele, right-hander Jameson Taillon, left-hander Jordan Wicks, reliever Adbert Alzolay and reliever Julian Merryweather.

No matter what the Cubs have asked of Brown or Wesneski, they've each delivered. In 11 appearances (four starts), Brown has a 3.57 ERA, a number that's inflated because he allowed six earned runs in his MLB debut against the Rangers. He has a 2.14 ERA since that rocky outing. Wesneski has a 1.84 ERA in nine appearances (three starts) in 2024, his third year in the big leagues.

On Tuesday, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer offered his praise for the impact of Brown and Wesneski on his club.

“I mean, they’ve meant so much to this team so far this year, and they will continue to,” Hoyer said Tuesday. “And I think both guys are starting pitchers (in the long term). But the way we’re constructed and the way our season has been, we’ve had to use them in both roles. To their credit, they’ve been great at both of those roles. Going back and forth isn’t that easy, and I think they’ve done a great job at it. Given the injuries we’ve had, both guys have been incredibly important to our success.”

The Cubs acquired Brown and Wesneski in separate trades in 2021. Brown was acquired from the Phillies as part of a deal that sent veteran reliever David Robertson to Philadelphia. Wesneski was the return from the Yankees in a swap that sent reliever Scott Efross to New York.

The Cubs host the Braves on Wednesday in the second game of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on 670 The Score or by downloading the Audacy app and searching for 670 The Score.