Alex Bregman Struck In The Face By A Foul Ball While On Deck, Hospitalized

Alex Bregman was standing in the on-deck circle at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati during Sunday's fourth inning when Michael Busch's checked-swing foul ball clipped the ground once and flew directly into his face, striking him on the left cheekbone, just below his eye.

He immediately grabbed his face and left the field with assistance from a trainer, blood visible on his cheek, as teammates watched in stunned silence.

The Cubs sent him to a Cincinnati hospital for X-rays and a CT scan. Manager Craig Counsell called it "a terrible, terrible accident" and said he knew nothing beyond the cheekbone impact, a bloody nose and significant swelling. Bregman was expected to travel with the team back to Chicago pending test results.

Later Sunday night, Bregman posted an Instagram story showing his eye swollen completely shut, bruised and discolored, with a simple caption: "Thanks for all the messages yall. I'll be back."

The timing is alarming for a Cubs team fighting for postseason position. Chicago is atop the NL Wild Card race and could clinch a berth as early as Monday. Bregman, who signed a five-year $175 million deal in January, is batting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs.

Any IL stint that extends into the postseason would complicate Chicago's October plans considerably. No diagnosis has been publicly confirmed.