Cubs’ Bregman suffers reported facial fractures after being hit by foul ball in ‘terrible accident’

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman suffered facial fractures when he was hit in the head by a foul ball on Sunday, according to ESPN .

Bregman was standing in the on-deck circle preparing for his at-bat when his teammate Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled off a pitch from the Cincinnati Reds’ Luis Mey. The ball struck Bregman in the face, and he immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout with his hand covering the left side of his face. He was taken to hospital for X-rays and CT scans.

ESPN reports that the 32-year-old will not require surgery and hopes to return for the postseason.

“He got hit in the left cheekbone essentially, under the eye,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game. “He was bleeding from his nose a little. There’s some swelling. It’s a terrible, terrible accident. We hope he’s OK.”

Bregman posted a photo of ⁠himself on Instagram . His eye was swollen and there was blood on his cheek. “Thanks for all the messages yall. ​I’ll be back,” Bregman said.

Bregman is batting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs after signing a $175m, five-year free-agent deal in January.

“It just happens so fast,” Busch said. “[Mey] is throwing the ball hard and it comes off hard. Any time it enters the head area, it’s always a scary thing. We try to focus on the game, but it’s tough. Hopefully he’s OK, first and foremost.”