Bregman Avoids Surgery After Facial Fractures From Foul Ball
Bregman Avoids Surgery After Facial Fractures From Foul Ball
Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures after being hit by a foul ball during Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, ESPN reported Monday night. He will not require surgery, and the team hopes to have him available for the postseason.
Bregman was standing in the grass several feet in front of the on-deck circle in the fourth inning when Michael Busch fouled off a pitch from Reds right-hander Luis Mey, and the ball struck Bregman in the face. "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." Bregman jogged toward the dugout with his hand over the left side of his face and was escorted down the steps into the clubhouse by a trainer, blood visible on his face. biathlon betting
Matt Shaw replaced him at the plate and drew a walk, remaining in the game at second base while Pedro Ramírez moved to third. Before exiting, Bregman had gone 1 for 1 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. He is batting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs this season, his first with the Cubs after signing a five-year, $175 million free-agent deal in January. "It just happens so fast," Busch said. "[Mey]'s 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." Teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong echoed that sentiment: "I mean, at the end of the day, you just hope your friend is OK. That's the news that I'm hoping for. But scary stuff. Such a rarity."
Counsell said he had not yet considered how a prolonged absence might affect Chicago's postseason roster construction. "You know, we've got to get good results from the hospital," he said. "He got hit in the face, [so] you're worried just about his general well-being first. I want to get a good report first." The Cubs are expected to provide further updates on Bregman's recovery timeline as the postseason approaches.
