Cubs' Alex Bregman hospitalized after getting hit in face with foul ball

Alex Bregman walked off the field Sunday, Sept. 20 with a towel pressed to his face and blood running down his cheek. The Chicago Cubs third baseman was hit in the face by a foul ball as he waited in the on-deck circle in the top of the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball park.

Bregman was taken to a local hospital for further testing after the scare in Cincinnati. After the 9-1 win , Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters the ball hit Bregman in the cheekbone, which is swollen, and left a cut on his face. Bregman was evaluated for broken bones.

It happed with two outs and the Cubs leading 5-0. Michael Busch checked his swing on a 1-2 pitch from Reds right-hander Luis Mey , and the ball ricocheted toward Bregman. He dropped to the ground immediately , clutching his face, then got up and walked to the clubhouse under his own power. There was no official diagnosis.

Before the injury, Bregman had done damage to the Reds. He drove in a run with a first-inning single, then walked and scored in the Cubs' four-run third inning.

The 32-year-old is hitting .260 with 26 home runs, 88 RBIs and an .801 OPS this season. He signed a five-year, $175 million contract with Chicago last winter. The three-time All-Star won two World Series with the Astros .

The timing is the problem for Bregman and the Cubs. Chicago is on the verge of clinching a playoff berth, needing just one win or an Arizona Diamondbacks loss to lock in wild card spot. If Bregman needs time away, the Cubs have Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez to fill in at third base. Neither has Bregman's experience in a playoff race.

Any fracture would change the outlook considerably. Facial fractures around the cheek bone or eye socket can sideline a player for weeks, and a hitter usually has to be cleared before he can face live pitching again.