How the Cubs Will Manage Without Alex Bregman Amid Facial Fracture

As soon as Alex Bregman was struck in the face by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle on Sunday, it was pretty apparent that he wasn't going to recover overnight.

Jeff Passan confirmed the severity of Bregman's injury Monday, sharing that the Cubs third baseman sustained facial fractures but "is hopeful to return in the postseason."

While the Cubs won't announce any sort of roster move until before Tuesday's series opener against the Miami Marlins, the news all but confirms that Bregman will head to the IL for the remainder of the regular season. The Cubs have six games left and are scheduled to play Game 162 on Sunday in Boston.

pic.twitter.com/eOv4BcT309
— The Cub Reporter (@thecubreporter) September 21, 2026

Then comes the NL Wild Card Series, which is set to begin on Sept. 29. But the Cubs still have their work cut out for them before that. The Cubs still need to officially clinch a playoff spot, which they can do with a win or an Arizona Diamondbacks loss on Tuesday. Then comes the main mission: the top wild card seed, which the Cubs remain in the driver's seat for.

For now, they'll have to finish that business without Bregman, and it's going to take a few guys to step up.

Can Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez fill the gap?

Jun 15, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Matt Shaw (6) celebrates his walk-off walk against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cubs have two clear-cut replacements for Bregman as it stands.

One is Matt Shaw, whose bad injury luck has limited him to just 73 games this season. More than half of those appearances have come in the outfield. He's played just six games and 35 innings at third base, and five of those came when he replaced Bregman in Sunday's game.

But lest we forget that Shaw was on track to become the Cubs' everyday man at the hot corner before Bregman arrived in the offseason.

Shaw played 124 games and logged 1,010 innings at third base last season. He posted 11 defensive runs saved, 30th among all fielders in MLB.

The main issue for Shaw this year is that his offensive production has dipped. He's just 5-for-28 (.179) over his last 15 games and is slugging just .393 in that span.

A Matt Shaw sac fly gets the Cubs on the board! pic.twitter.com/SB5WDmiXLE
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 19, 2026

That's where Pedro Ramirez, the Cubs' rookie Swiss Army Knife, comes in.

The 22-year-old has shown a ton of poise at the plate since he made his MLB debut in May. In 75 games, he's posted a slash line of .266/.324/.419 (.743 OPS) with six 6 home runs, 32 RBI, and seven stolen bases.

This at-bat from Pedro Ramirez in the 9th inning last night was legit.

Stayed patient, saw four straight pitches, was right on time for the fifth, and tied the ballgame.

That’s not something you really see from a guy with less than 40 big league plate appearances.

Hitting his… pic.twitter.com/na9jNUNJU4
— Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) June 16, 2026

Ramirez has played the bulk of his defensive innings at second base (41 games, 300.1 innings), but the Cubs have also experimented with him at third (15 games, 101 innings).

He's put on a show there, too:

pedro. ramírez. pic.twitter.com/6JHowzvW2E
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 4, 2026

Ramirez has been a top-10 player for the Cubs in terms of both bWAR (1.6) and fWAR (1.0) this year, and his bat has also started to heat up down the season's final stretch. He's 8-for-26 (.308) over his last seven games with a home run and four RBI.

It won't be surprising if the Cubs lean on Ramirez more than they do on Shaw in Bregman's absence. The kid has more than earned his spot on the roster, and the fact that he's been a mainstay since his first call-up proves that.

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