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...
Illinois Win Eases One Concern But Raises Another For Fans
Illinois left the Southern Illinois game with a lopsided win and at least one source of relief for its fans: the offense looked organized enough to put up 48 points and keep the game from ever getting uncomfortable. Katin Houser handled the passing game well, and the offensive line drew notice for doing its part in helping the attack settle in and build rhythm.
Still, the scoreboard did not tell the whole story. Even with Southern Illinois held to 10 points, there were defensive lapses that stood out on film, the kind of issues that can linger once the competition gets tougher. For Illinois, the opener offered a useful reminder that a convincing result can hide as much as it reveals. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Looks Built To Make A Real Big Ten Statement
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The bigger picture is what makes the ranking stand out. Illinois is being discussed in the same breath as heavyweights like Florida and Duke, and the Big Ten is once again expected to have several teams in the national mix. For Illinois, the challenge is less about earning respect in the preseason and more about turning that on-paper edge into the sort of consistency that can separate a contender from a team merely living up to expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Faces 3 Big Ten Tests That Will Define Its Rise
Illinois is headed into the 2026-27 season with a roster that already looks unusually stable, keeping more than 90% of last years group after a 22-12 finish and a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. That continuity gives the Illini a real chance to build on what they established in 2025-26, but the next step will be measured less by internal progress than by how they handle the Big Tens upper tier.
The schedule figures to provide those answers quickly. Matchups with Ohio State, UCLA and Michigan stand out as the kind of tests that can tell you whether Illinois is ready to turn a good season into something more, especially with roster changes around the league shaping each of those meetings in different ways. For a team trying to rise, the margin is going to show up in games like these, where familiar pieces and new variables collide and the stakes feel bigger than one conference result. [Read more 🡒]