Third baseman was standing near on-deck circle
Player taken to hospital for X-rays and CT scan
Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was taken to the hospital for tests after being struck in the face by a foul ball while standing in front of the on-deck circle during Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
There was no immediate decision on whether Bregman, who was taken for X-rays and CT scans, would travel with the team back to Chicago after the Cubs’ 9-1 win.
“He got hit in the left cheekbone essentially, under the eye,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I don’t know anything more than that right now. He was bleeding from his nose a little. There’s some swelling. It’s a terrible, terrible accident. We hope he’s OK.”
In the fourth inning, Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled off a pitch from Reds Luis Mey that struck Bregman, who immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout with his hand covering the left side of his face.
Bregman was escorted by a trainer down the dugout steps and into the clubhouse, with blood visible on his face.
“It just happens so fast,” Busch said. “[Mey] is throwing the ball hard and it comes off hard. Any time it enters the head area, it’s always a scary thing. We try to focus on the game, but it’s tough. Hopefully he’s OK, first and foremost.”
Bregman is batting.262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs after signing a $175m, five-year free-agent deal in January.
“You just hope your friend is OK,” Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s the news that I’m hoping for. But scary stuff. Such a rarity.”
Counsell said he hasn’t thought about how a potential long-term absence for Bregman could affect his postseason roster plans.
“You know, we’ve got to get good results from the hospital,” Counsell said. “He got hit in the face [so] you’re worried just about his general wellbeing first. I want to get a good report first.”