Chicago Cubs star Alex Bregman is aiming for a playoff return after suffering multiple facial fractures on Sunday when a foul ball struck him in the on-deck circle, according to ESPN.
Bregman reportedly is foregoing surgery as the Cubs contend for a National League playoff spot. As of Tuesday, the team was tied with the Padres for the top wild-card position.
The injury occurred in the fourth inning of the Cubs' victory over the Reds. Michael Busch fouled a pitch that inadvertently hit Bregman, who was standing near the on-deck area. Video footage shows Bregman exiting the field with blood on his face and being handed a towel.
"You never want to see that on the ball field. You can’t control any of that. It happened so fast," Busch said, according to MLB.com. "Any time [the ball] hits the head area, it’s scary. … You focus on the game, but it’s tough."
Bregman was taken to a local hospital for X-rays and a CT scan. He later posted a photo to his Instagram Story showing a bruised eye, blood on his cheek, and a nasal plug, with the caption, "Thanks for the messages yall. I’ll be back."
He shared another selfie from Chicago with his eye still visibly discolored and blood on his cheek, accompanied by a praying hands emoji.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell initially feared a more severe injury. "He had a cut under his eye," Counsell stated Sunday, per MLB.com. "He was bleeding from his nose a little bit. It’s pretty swollen. It was below the eye. I honestly thought it hit him in the nose. I thought he had a broken nose, but I knew it hit him somewhere in the face. It’s just an unfortunate accident. I’m hoping and praying he is all right."
The Cubs are nearing a playoff clinch, entering the final week of the season with a magic number of one. They are tied with the Padres for the top wild-card spot and hold the tiebreaker. They also maintain a one-game lead over the Phillies, with whom they own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Chicago is five games ahead of the Diamondbacks, the first team outside the playoff picture. The Cubs can secure a playoff berth on Tuesday night with either a home win against Miami or a loss by Arizona at Colorado.
Bregman, 32, is in the first year of a five-season, $175 million contract. He has a .262 batting average, .352 on-base percentage, and .452 slugging percentage this season.