Cubs’ Alex Bregman Shows Bruised Face on Social Media After Foul Ball Scare

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman gave fans a firsthand look at the damage Sunday night, sharing an Instagram selfie hours after a foul ball struck him in the face while he waited in the on-deck circle. The image showed his left eye swollen shut, with bruising and blood visible on his cheek.

Alongside the photo, Bregman thanked well-wishers and signaled his intent to return, writing that he would be back.

The scary moment unfolded in the fourth inning of Chicago’s victory over the Cincinnati Reds. As teammate Michael Busch checked his swing, his bat sent a ball flying back toward the on-deck circle, striking Bregman in the face. Bregman initially jogged toward the dugout before doubling over, covering his face with both hands. A trainer attended to him with a towel before walking him down into the clubhouse.

Manager Craig Counsell told reporters afterward that Bregman had been transported to a hospital for evaluation, describing the impact as landing on the left cheekbone just below the eye. He noted a cut beneath the eye, some nose bleeding, and significant swelling, and said the team’s immediate concern was Bregman’s overall health rather than his availability on the field.

The timing is notable for a Cubs team chasing playoff positioning. At 87-69, Chicago’s magic number to secure a National League wild-card berth stands at one, though the club is jockeying with San Diego (87-69) and Philadelphia (86-70) for seeding. Counsell declined to speculate on whether Bregman would be ready for the postseason, which begins in just over a week, saying the club needs good hospital results first.

Bregman, in his first season in Chicago after nine years and two World Series titles in Houston, signed a five-year, $175 million deal last offseason. He was 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI before departing. He is batting .262 with an .804 OPS, 26 home runs, and 89 RBIs this season, and has been especially hot since Aug. 1, hitting .291 with a .998 OPS and 15 homers.

Clips of the incident circulated widely across sports media, including coverage from Fox Corporation’s FS1 and MLB on FOX platforms, whose parent company shares closed at $64.98 before slipping about 0.82% to roughly $64.45 in Monday trading.

What to watch

• Results of Bregman’s hospital evaluation and any Cubs update on his status.
• Whether Bregman appears in the Cubs’ remaining regular-season games.
• Chicago’s playoff seeding race with San Diego and Philadelphia as the postseason begins.

Source: original release