The Chicago Cubs certainly did not sign Alex Bregman to a 5-year, $175 million deal with his current version in mind. This season, Bregman has been subpar at best. With the Cubs already dealing with inconsistencies, the team needs Bregman’s bat. However, on Sunday, he appeared to lack intent when running the basepaths. As the Milwaukee Brewers threw him out, the Cubs broadcaster did not hold back from dishing it out to him. The criticism triggered Bregman to open up about his own health problems.

With Chicago trailing 1-0 at the top of the sixth inning, Bregman came to the plate with a runner in scoring position. After hitting a ground ball to shortstop, he jogged to first base. The question on everyone’s mind was why he didn’t run harder. Furthermore, because he was watching the ball instead of looking down the baseline, he may not have realized how close the play was. As it turns out, his history of soft-tissue injuries has made him hesitant to run at full speed. And according to Jesse Rogers, Bregman regretted not running harder.

“Alex Bregman said he’s had a lot of soft tissue injuries over the years so he tries to be careful, BUT he regrets not running hard yesterday on a ground ball that was bobbled at shortstop,” wrote Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Soft tissue injuries mainly include strains in muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and Bregman has faced plenty of those that have forced him to miss playing time.

The 32-year-old’s problems mostly revolve around soft tissues, especially in his legs and wrist. In 2025, a quad strain kept him on the 10-day IL. The year before, in 2024, he suffered from left-hand soreness and elbow inflammation. He has also undergone arthroscopic surgery on his throwing wrist.

Moving on, while regret is one thing, it sure didn’t stop the criticism from rolling in.

“At the end of the bat. Could have pushed it a little harder,” observed a Cubs broadcaster.

“You don’t have to try and win an Olympic medal every time you get down the first base line, but you need to go a little harder than that,” color analyst Jim Deshaies remarked, per the New York Post.

Bregman had been one of the most valuable pieces last off-season, and the Cubs signed him with much fanfare. But Deshaies’ words show how quickly the shine faded as Bregman failed to deliver at the plate.

With the Cubs, the 3B has been posting career-worst numbers this season. He is slashing only .242/.339/.337 for a .677 OPS.

Bregman went hitless against the Brewers on Sunday. Fortunately for him, the Cubs also secured a 4-3 win, which somewhat eclipsed his base-running effort, or lack thereof.

The Cubs are currently facing the San Diego Padres. Against the Padres, he went 2-for-4 and did not score on Monday. But thankfully, his team pulled through.

Chicago Cubs soar to their third straight win

At Wrigley Field, the Cubs finally found the breakthrough they were looking for.

Going against the Padres closer Mason Miller in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki sent a deep fly ball to left field. Outfielder Jase Bowen failed to convert a leaping catch as he crashed into the ivy-covered brick wall. With that, Suzuki delivered a walk-off single and gave the Cubs their third consecutive win.

This win also happens to be the Major League-leading 10th in walk-off fashion for the Cubs, who had struggled to get much going throughout the game. The team went 1-for-10 with runners in the first eight frames, but that was overturned with the players surrounding Suzuki.

Another massive effort came from Shota Imanaga, who allowed nine hits over his 6 1/3 innings. Though he put the first two runners aboard in three frames, he limited the damage later. In fact, Imanaga did not give up a home run for the seventh time in 17 starts.

That said, the Cubs will take on the Padres on July 1, and fans will be hoping for another win. Do you think they can get the job done? Let us know in the comments below.