A scary scene unfolded in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ 9-1 blowout win over the Reds on Sunday when Alex Bregman took a foul ball to the face, forcing him to leave the game.
The foul ball came off the bat of teammate Michael Busch, who had checked his swing and sent the ball speeding toward Bregman standing in the grass several feet in front of the on-deck circle.
Bregman was taken to an area hospital to undergo X-rays and CT scans.
The foul struck Bregman on his left cheekbone under his eye and left a cut, Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters, according to the Chicago Tribune.
A photo Bregman posted to his Instagram Story seemed to confirm that as well, with the Cubs third baseman showing bruising around his eye and padding up his nose to stop bleeding.
“Thanks for all the messages yall. I’ll be back,” Bregman wrote.
Counsell expects that Bregman will fly back to Chicago on the team plane.
“I knew it hit him somewhere in the face, the Cubs manager said. “It’s just an unfortunate accident, terrible accident. Hoping and praying he’s OK.”
“He’s pretty swollen. … I don’t know anything more than that right now.”
Counsell appeared to be focused on the health of his player more than the impact it could have on the Cubs’ playoff hopes, but the freak accident comes at a crucial point for the team. Chicago sits atop the NL wild card standings with just six games left in the regular season.
“We’ve got to get good results at the hospital, that’s what’s first,” Counsell said. “He got hit in the face, so you’re worried about general well-being first. If we get a good report, then we’ll move to the next step. I want to get a good report first.”
