Alex Bregman Hospitalized After Getting Hit by Ball While On Deck, Cubs Star Shares Photo of Injury

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was forced to exit Sunday's 9-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds early after being hit in the face by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle.

He later posted a photo of the aftermath:

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters that Bregman was transported to the hospital to undergo further testing:

Cubs first baseman Michael Busch, who bats lefty, was at the plate against Reds right-hander Luis Mey in the fourth inning when Bregman was struck with the ball. Per ESPN, Bregman "immediately jogged toward the Cubs' dugout with a hand over his left eye" and "was escorted by an athletic trainer down the dugout steps and into the clubhouse, with blood visible on his face." Counsell told reporters that he had a cut under his left eye, was "bleeding from his nose a little bit" and looked "pretty swollen."

Before exiting the game, Bregman opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning, and he drew a walk in the third inning before coming around to score on a two-run single by Pedro Ramirez.

Matt Shaw pinch-hit for Bregman and went 0-for-2. Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his march toward the NL MVP award with a two-run home run to spearhead the victory. Starter David Peterson pitched six strong innings with three hits, one earned run and seven strikeouts.

Cubs vs. Reds (09/20/2026)

04:54

Bregman signed with Chicago in January on a five-year, $175 million deal. The three-time All-Star is second on the team behind Crow-Armstrong with 26 home runs and 89 RBI.

The Cubs could get some good news later on Sunday night, as they could clinch a playoff berth with a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks against the New York Yankees.