Alex Bregman returned to the Cubs’ lineup less than a week after suffering facial fractures, showing the toughness and commitment Chicago hoped he would bring when signed in free agency.
The Chicago Cubs were at risk of losing one of their most prolific bats for the season when third baseman Alex Bregman sustained multiple facial fractures after being struck by a foul ball in Cincinnati.
It was a scary scene that had Cubs fans hoping for the best, both for Bregman and the team. Chicago has a tendency to go dormant offensively, and Bregman had been hitting .305 with 10 home runs and a 1.042 OPS over his previous 31 games. Losing him for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs would have dealt a serious blow to the Cubs’ hopes of making a postseason run.
But on Friday at Fenway Park, Bregman was back in the lineup. His return came so quickly that it was almost shocking, given how he looked and what he described when speaking to the media.
Bregman could hardly open his left eye. He talked about numbness throughout the left side of his face and fluid that he could feel moving around as he moved. Yet after testing multiple helmets, hitting in the cages off the Trajekt machine and advocating for an opportunity to play, Bregman was back on the field as the Cubs continued their pursuit of home-field advantage in the NL Wild Card Series.
“I felt like I haven’t played in a few days, but my face was fine,” Bregman said. “I feel like today was kind of, let’s get some at-bats and get back to getting in the swing of things. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t thinking anything about my face, and the only thing I was thinking about was how I normally think when I’m playing the game of baseball. And that was good.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell told the media that the team warned Bregman about the risks of returning less than a week after the injury. But Bregman was itching to play and delivered on the promise he made on social media that "he’d be back."
He went hitless Friday, and the Cubs were swept in the doubleheader, putting them at risk of losing home-field advantage for the Wild Card Series. Still, Bregman’s return matters.
As he said after the game, his focus now is getting back into the rhythm of playing baseball. He showed some rust on Friday, but another game on Sunday at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay would give him more time to regain his timing before the postseason.
Ultimately, this is why the Cubs signed Alex Bregman in the first place. His value goes beyond his production at the plate. He loves the game, wants to be there for his teammates and brings a level of competitiveness and determination that rubs off on the rest of the team. When a situation like this arises, you can count on him to do everything in his power to get back on the field.
The same couldn’t always be said about Kyle Tucker, who occupied a similar spot in the middle of the Cubs’ order in 2025.
You can’t question Bregman’s toughness or his desire to be out there for his teammates. His return should give the Cubs a lift in the postseason, regardless of who or where they play next week.
