It’s one of those injuries you’re not sure if you’ve ever seen.
Alex Bregman was standing in the on-deck circle for the Chicago Cubs on Sunday when Michael Busch was very late on a foul ball. It hit Bregman in the face.
It was unfortunate timing in the game, but how the timing fits into the rest of the season for the Cubs could be different.
Alex Bregman Injury Status
Bregman’s face was bloody when he immediately left the game on Sunday.
The ball had hit just below his right eye.
His right eye was swollen shut after the injury happened, and his face was quite swollen.
“He got hit in the cheekbone essentially, under the eye,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told ESPN about Bregman’s injury after Sunday’s game. “I don’t know anything more than that right now. He was bleeding from his nose a little. There’s some swelling. It’s a terrible, terrible accident. We hope he’s OK.”
Bregman provided an update, with a selfie, later Sunday on his Instagram story.
“Thanks for the messages y’all, I’ll be back,” Bregman wrote.
The Cubs were all a little shaken up about it after the win.
“At the end of the day, you hope your friend is OK,” Crow-Armstrong said about Bregman, via MLB.com. “That’s the news that I’m hoping for.”
Bregman’s injury came in Cincinnati on Sunday in a game that the Cubs won 9-1.
Chicago had a chance to clinch a playoff berth on Sunday but didn’t quite do it, but that could be coming soon. That’s what makes Bregman’s injury a fascinating one.
Cubs Playoff Scenarios
The Cubs could’ve clinched a playoff berth on Sunday if their win had been paired with a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
That means the Diamondbacks are technically still in the playoff picture, but barely.
If the Cubs can win again, it’ll secure their spot in the postseason.
In that way, it’s a bit fortunate that Bregman got hurt now, as opposed to earlier this month or in the middle of the playoffs. The Cubs should be able to pull off the feat of getting into the postseason even without him, and he can serve in an inspirational leadership role until he can get back on the diamond.
Chicago will have more to play for after clinching their spot, too — they can get home-field advantage for the Wild Card Series.
“Chicago owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Padres (5-1) and the Phillies (6-1), the two teams below them in the NL Wild Card race, giving them the upper hand to earn home-field advantage for the Wild Card Series starting Sept. 29,” MLB.com’s Bill Ladson writes.
It’s that Sept. 29 date mentioned by Ladson that is most notable for Bregman. Cubs fans will be counting down whether he can get back on the field by then, which would be Chicago’s postseason opener.
Yes, there’s another win needed to ensure their spot. But once they get that, they can start figuring out how to be healthy for the first playoff game.
Alex Bregman Injury, Cubs’ Playoff Chances Don’t Clash