Alex Bregman Update: Cubs' Star Heads to Hospital After Foul Ball to the Face

The Chicago Cubs lost Alex Bregman in the middle of their blowout victory to the Reds' on Sunday.

Sep 20, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) walks off the field after getting hit by a foul ball in the fourth inning in the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A scary moment occurred in the middle of the Chicago Cubs' 9-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

With Michael Busch at the plate in the fourth inning of action, a foul ball off his bat went right in the direction of Alex Bregman. The Cubs' third baseman was standing in the on-deck circle and proceeded to get hit in the face. He instantly ran along the dugout before stopping and dropping his head into his hands in noticeable pain. The Cubs promptly removed him from the contest.

“It’s the left cheekbone, essentially, under the eye," Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. "So I don’t know anything more than that right now. He had a cut under his eye. Bleeding from his nose a little bit. Pretty swollen.”

The Cubs manager also shared that Bregman was sent to the hospital for further evaluation. There is no question that this adds a greater level of concern regarding the severity. The good news, however, is that the Cubs seemingly do expect him to travel back to Chicago with them this evening.

Bregman also proceeded to share an image of himself on his Instagram with the caption, "Thanks for the messages y'all. I'll be back." His eye is completely swollen shut in the image and already bruised. Blood can also be seen on his cheek, while his right nostril is plugged to seemingly prevent more bleeding.

Holy crap Alex Bregman, get well soon 😬 pic.twitter.com/ljGOmVkkX2

— Brett Taylor (@Brett_A_Taylor) September 20, 2026

Cubs' Alex Bregman Suffers Brutal injury

Sep 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) waits on deck to bat before the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The fluke injury for Alex Bregman comes at a terrible time for the Chicago Cubs.

As they head back to Wrigley Field, the Cubs will have only two more series left on the regular season calendar. They will face the Miami Marlins at the Friendly Confines before rounding things out with a three-game set in Boston. After that, the postseason will officially begin.

It's currently unclear how long Bregman will be sidelined, but the Cubs are undoubtedly hoping that he can get back on the field over the next couple of weeks. Going into the Wild Card round without him would be a significant hurdle to overcome, especially when considering just how good he has been during this second half.

With that said, the Cubs can at least feel ok about giving Bregman a handful of days off. While they are still fighting for the top Wild Card seed, they have the tiebreaker advantage against their main competition in the Phillies and Padres. Likewise, their magic number currently sits at just 1, meaning it's only a matter of time before they should lock in the postseason berth.

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