Ben Brown has taken the next step toward getting back on the mound for the Chicago Cubs.

The 27-year-old right-hander had successful cervical spine surgery Monday in New York, according to reports Tuesday. The operation was on the C5 vertebra in the middle of his neck.

Brown is expected to start throwing early in the new year and should be ready to pitch in games in the first half of the 2027 season.

Second time around

Neck pain ended Brown's season in late June. It was the second time in three years he had dealt with a similar problem after an issue back in 2024.

He first gave it time to heal on its own before deciding on surgery.

Before the injury, Brown was one of the Cubs' better arms. He posted a 1.85 ERA in 20 games, including eight starts.

Chicago needs pitching

Brown has a 4.15 ERA over parts of three seasons. He has steadily improved since the Cubs acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies in the summer of 2021.

He was not the only starter the Cubs lost this year. Cade Horton made just two starts before having Tommy John surgery. Justin Steele missed the whole season recovering from surgery.

That leaves Chicago with several rotation openings to address this winter. Brown will step back into one of them once he is healthy.