Former Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was sent to a Cincinnati hospital Sunday after being struck in the face by a foul ball during the Chicago Cubs’ 9-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
With two outs in the fourth inning, Cubs teammate Michael Busch checked his swing on a pitch from Reds right-hander Luis Mey and fouled the ball toward Bregman, who was standing in the grass several feet in front of the on-deck circle. The ball struck Bregman in the left cheekbone, just below his eye. He headed toward the dugout holding the left side of his face and was escorted into the clubhouse by a trainer. Matt Shaw replaced him as a pinch-hitter.
Bregman was taken to the hospital for X-rays and a CT scan. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game that Bregman had swelling and was bleeding from his nose.
“It’s a terrible, terrible accident,” Counsell said. “We hope he’s OK.”
Busch also described the frightening sequence after the game.
“You never want to see that on the ball field,” Busch said. “You can’t control any of that. It happened so fast.”
Bregman later posted a selfie to his Instagram story showing his left eye swollen shut, bruising around the eye, and blood on his cheek.
“Thanks for all the messages yall,” Bregman wrote. “I’ll be back.”
On Monday morning, Bregman provided another encouraging update. He posted a second photo to his Instagram story showing additional bruising around the eye and wrote, “Back in Chicago.” As of Monday, no results from the X-rays or CT scan had been publicly announced.
Before leaving Sunday’s game, Bregman went 1-for-1 with an RBI, a walk, and a run scored.
Bregman spent nine seasons with Houston from 2016 through 2024 and helped the Astros win World Series championships in 2017 and 2022. After one season with the Boston Red Sox in 2025, he signed with the Cubs before the 2026 season.
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