Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman suffered several facial fractures during the team's game versus the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday when he was struck in the face by a foul ball. Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that despite the scary incident, Bregman didn't need to be placed on the injured list. The former longtime member of the Houston Astros and 2025 Boston Red Sox All-Star discussed the horrifying event on Wednesday, calling it nearly "detrimental." "Pain's been fine, I guess I fractured something right by the nerve in my face," Bregman said, according to Cubs insider Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.
"So the left side of my face has been a little bit numb. As soon as the swelling goes down I'm sure I'll feel the breaks a little bit more. And that's kinda what started last night because the swelling's been going down, so kinda felt that a little bit more this morning when I woke up.
But all in all, super lucky that it hit where it hit and just a lot of gratitude, because if it was about a few centimeters higher it could've been detrimental." The 32-year-old infielder said Wednesday that he "felt like (he) got hit by a baseball bat to the face," but is aiming to be back in Chicago's lineup by the start of next week's NL Wild Card playoffs. Though Bregman hasn't appeared in a contest since Sunday's accident, Counsell noted that he "geared up" during the Cubs' loss versus the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. Bregman said Wednesday that he was hoping to play in that night's game.
The two-time World Series champion won a Gold Glove for his work at third base in 2024, but Counsell said it's likely that when Bregman returns to the lineup, it'll come as a designated hitter. "I would, frankly, lean towards DH off the bat, just because it’s less," the 56-year-old said. "I’m sure Alex has the goal of playing third base, and we want him to play third base, but I would probably at the start think he’d be a DH." Bregman inked a five-year, $175 million contract with the North Siders in January and leads the team in doubles this season with 32.
He also ranks second on the Cubs to NL MVP contender Pete Crow-Armstrong in a host of other categories including home runs (26), RBIs (89), total bases (271) and Wins Above Replacement (WAR) (5.5).
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