The Cubs got rolling Sunday in Cincinnati, and Alex Bregman was right in the middle of it before the game took a nasty turn.
Chicago was already in control, up 5-0 in the top of the fourth with two outs, when Busch fouled a ball back toward Bregman in the on-deck circle. The ball struck the Cubs third baseman in the face, and he was immediately sent to the visitor’s clubhouse. Matt Shaw came in to replace him.
The injury was the kind of jarring moment that stops everything cold, even with the Cubs closing in on a playoff spot. Bregman has been the club’s most important player not named Pete Crow-Armstrong in the second half, and losing him now would be a major blow to an offense that has leaned on him heavily.
That’s what makes the timing so brutal. The playoffs are just over a week away, and Chicago has already spent much of the season battling injuries, especially on the pitching side. The position-player group has avoided the kind of collapse that can wreck a season, but it hasn’t been untouched either.
Bregman’s own season has followed a sharp turn. After a rough first half, he’s caught fire in the second half and looked like the player Chicago expected, the kind of difference-maker who can carry a lineup when he’s locked in. Before the injury, he had already helped get the Cubs started by driving in his 89th run of the season.
Now the only thing that matters is Bregman’s condition. The Cubs can only hope this wasn’t the worst-case outcome, because his bat has become a central piece of Craig Counsell’s offense.
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The Cubs have spent the past stretch making a clear point about where theyre headed, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is now part of that long-term picture after signing a six-year, $115 million extension. It comes on the heels of the club locking in Nico Hoerner on a six-year, $135 million deal and adding Alex Bregman in free agency, a set of moves that gives Chicago a legitimate core to build around for years rather than months.
For a fan base that has waited to see a plan sharpen into something concrete, the timing matters almost as much as the money. Chicago has secured its own foundation, while elsewhere in the division theres still uncertainty around top talent and long-range commitment, which only adds to the sense that the Cubs are trying to get ahead of the usual roster churn before it arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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Behind the power, though, there has been a quieter evolution that helps explain why this has looked sustainable rather than fleeting. Hitting coach Dustin Kelly has pointed to better plate discipline, more selective aggression and Crow-Armstrongs ability to do damage across the strike zone as the foundation of the jump. For the Cubs, the appeal is obvious: this is not just a hot streak from a young player, but a version of him that seems built to keep forcing pitchers into tough choices. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face A Justin Steele Decision That Could Shape October
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The question now is whether the Cubs see enough to bring him back in a bullpen role for the postseason chase or decide the safer move is to keep waiting. The organization already opted to shut down Shelby Miller in a similar situation, which makes Steeles next turn feel especially important as the front office weighs short-term help against long-term caution. [Read more 🡒]