The Cubs had everything moving in the right direction Sunday in Cincinnati until a foul ball changed the tone in an instant.
Alex Bregman was standing in the on-deck circle during the Cubs’ series finale against the Reds when he took a foul ball off the face and was immediately taken into the visitor’s clubhouse. He was later transported to a hospital in Cincinnati for testing.
The ball struck Bregman on his left cheek bone, leaving him with a cut and a bloody nose. Counsell said Bregman’s cheek is pretty swollen and that the Cubs are hoping for the best.
Busch was at the plate with two outs in the top of the fourth and Chicago already ahead 5-0 when he fouled a ball toward Bregman. It hit the Cubs’ third baseman in the face, and Matt Shaw came in to replace him.
Bregman has been one of the Cubs’ most important players in the second half, trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong in that regard, and his absence would be a major blow with the playoffs just over a week away. That’s the immediate concern for Chicago: whether this turns into a short-term scare or something far more damaging for a lineup that has leaned on him heavily.
Before the injury, Bregman had already gotten Chicago’s scoring going by driving in his 89th run of the season. His second half has been a clear turnaround after a rough first half, and he has settled in as a central piece of Craig Counsell’s offense.
The Cubs have dealt with injuries all year, especially on the pitching side, and while they’ve mostly avoided major damage among position players, they haven’t escaped unscathed. They also just got Dansby Swanson back from a month-long IL stint, giving the infield a boost at the perfect time. Now the team is waiting for word on Bregman and hoping the news is better than the scene Sunday suggested.
In Other News...
Cubs May Have Another Homegrown Bat Rising Faster Than Expected
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Kepleys game also fits the kind of speed-and-pressure profile the Cubs have already seen work at Wrigley, with his style drawing comparisons to Pete Crow-Armstrong. He has stolen 66 bases in 121 games this year, and the appeal is not just the raw speed but the consistency behind it. If that combination holds, the Cubs may have another homegrown bat pushing his way toward meaningful playing time sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Crow-Armstrong Is Chasing Cubs History With One Debate Hanging Over It
Pete Crow-Armstrong is on the brink of a season that would already sit near the top of Cubs lore. With 45 home runs and 38 stolen bases, he is close to joining one of baseballs rarest clubs, the 40-40 group, while also piling up 30 doubles and 107 RBIs in a breakout year that has turned every series into another chance to watch history inch closer.
The debate hovering over it is part of the modern game, and part of what makes Crow-Armstrongs chase so interesting. Recent rule changes have helped push stolen-base totals upward across MLB, which means his power-speed blend is being measured in a different run environment than the one that defined earlier 40-40 seasons. Even so, he remains in a tiny class of players who have paired 30-plus doubles, 35-plus steals and 40-plus homers in one year, and the Cubs are left watching to see whether the final two swipes arrive before the milestone window closes. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Are Close To Clinching But One Playoff Fight Just Intensified
The Cubs kept moving closer to October with a 9-1 win over the Reds, getting six solid innings from David Peterson and another step toward locking up a playoff berth. Chicago is now one victory away from securing its spot, and the latest standings math has only added to the importance of each remaining game, especially with the team holding tiebreaker advantages over both the Phillies and Padres in the Wild Card race.
Alex Bregmans injury during the game after being hit in the face by a foul ball and taken to the hospital added an abrupt layer of concern to a night that otherwise tilted Chicagos way. For the Cubs, the bigger picture is clear enough, but the chase is not finished yet, and the path to the postseason still runs through one more result that could settle everything. [Read more 🡒]