Ben Brown’s inconsistency the last two months suggested it was a matter of when, not if, the Chicago Cubs would send the right-hander to the minors to get on track.

The Cubs optioned Brown to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. The Cubs were going to need to clear a spot in the rotation for Shota Imanaga's (hamstring) return later this week, and Brown sealed his fate when he got rocked for eight runs over five innings in Monday's start versus the Cardinals.