Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman left Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds after being struck in the face by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle.
The ball came off the bat of teammate Michael Busch during Chicago’s blowout win, and Bregman immediately exited the contest.
Manager Craig Counsell offered the first official word afterward on Marquee Sports Network.
“So we sent Alex to the hospital to get tests,” Counsell said. “He got hit in the left cheekbone, essentially under the eye. I don’t know anything more than that right now.”
Counsell also noted a cut under the eye, some bleeding from the nose, and visible swelling around the area. Those details pointed toward a serious enough blow that imaging and concussion checks were the obvious next steps.
Bregman was taken to a Cincinnati hospital for X-rays and a CT scan to determine whether the cheekbone or surrounding structures were fractured. Because the impact was to the head, league concussion protocol is expected as well.
The good news is that Bregman is expected to travel back to Chicago with the club Sunday night rather than remaining in Cincinnati.
In his first season with the Cubs, Bregman has delivered the kind of consistent production the team hoped for when it signed him.
He is hitting .262 with a .352 on-base percentage and .452 slugging percentage, 26 home runs, and a 124 wRC+ that lines up with his output over the previous four years.
Bregman has also brought veteran presence to the clubhouse and a reliable bat near the top of the lineup. Any extended absence would therefore be felt both on the field and in the dugout.
The Cubs do have internal options. Pedro Ramirez finished Sunday’s game at third base after Bregman left, and Matt Shaw moved to second.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson recently returned from an oblique strain, giving the infield a bit more flexibility. Still, an injured-list stint for Bregman could make him unavailable for the start of a potential Wild Card series, or longer if the injury proves more significant.
Chicago enters the final week of the regular season in strong position. The team’s magic number to clinch a postseason berth stands at one, and it holds tiebreakers that could allow it to host the Wild Card round at Wrigley Field.
The next series begins Tuesday against the Miami Marlins at home. Further word on Bregman’s condition may not arrive until then, leaving the Cubs hoping the scans come back clean and their third baseman can return before October baseball begins.
