Alex Bregman took a check-swing liner to the face on Sunday and walked away with fractures but needed no surgery. Bregman’s unfortunate fate came after Michael Busch’s foul ball took an unexpected bounce before striking the Chicago Cubs veteran directly below his left eye.
Yet, despite the brutal blow, Bregman appears to have avoided the kind of injury that could end his season immediately. The Cubs did not place him on the injured list, keeping the door open for a potential return before October. Now, with the playoffs looming, Chicago’s gamble might pay off.
Bregman was asked to describe his pain during an interaction with the media on Wednesday. In a clip of his answer shared on X by Vinnie Duber, Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cubs veteran said,
“I kinda just looked down and then felt like I got hit by a baseball bat to the face pretty much. Pain’s been fine, though… super lucky that it hit where it hit, and just a lot of gratitude that it wasn’t a few centimeters higher; it could’ve been detrimental.”
When asked if he expects to play over the weekend, Bregman replied, “We’ll see. One step at a time, but I don’t know. I’m gonna try and get in there tonight.”
The 32-year-old noted that one of the fractures occurred near a facial nerve, which initially left the left side of his face numb. He is also dealing with significant fluid and swelling around his eye, though his pain levels have remained manageable. Fortunately, his vision is fine, and he will not need surgery to repair the fractures.
In Sunday’s fourth inning, Bregman was a few feet in front of the visitors’ on-deck circle, preparing for his upcoming at-bat. Busch offered at a pitch but attempted a check-swing. He inadvertently made contact, sending a sharp, erratic foul ball directly toward the on-deck circle.
The ball bounced once off the turf and violently skipped directly up into Bregman’s face, striking him on the left cheekbone, just beneath his left eye. Because of his proximity to home plate, Bregman had virtually zero time to react or dodge the ball.
Since Bregman was sidelined on Sunday, the Cubs lost two games: 8-2 and 3-2 against the Miami Marlins. Moreover, Bregman is one of baseball’s most seasoned postseason performers, carrying 102 games of playoff experience. Having won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros and making postseason appearances in each of the past nine years, he brings an invaluable veteran calm to a Cubs team navigating high-stakes October baseball.
So, just when he confirmed his imminent return, the Cubs couldn’t have a better update.
“He’s still got significant swelling in his face and his eye that needs to improve,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday (via NBC Sports). “But all things considered, he’s in a good place.”
Cubs president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, also offered a positive update on Tuesday.
“When everything was going down on Sunday afternoon, I think that we all thought the worst case might be a possibility,” said Hoyer. “And all the news since then has been really good. He’s had a lot of different doctors’ appointments, and they’ve been positive. And I think we have to take it one step at a time.”
With all signs pointing to a quick recovery for Alex Bregman, Cubs fans can breathe a sigh of relief.