Alex

Bregman

Bregman told reporters he’s hoping to return to game action at some point against his former team at Fenway Park later this week. It’ll be Pedro Ramírez getting another turn at the cold corner in his absence. The 32-year-old third baseman was extremely fortunate to avoid serious injury when he was struck by a foul ball in the on-deck circle last weekend. He was diagnosed with multiple facial fractures. The widely-held expectation is that he’ll be ready for Chicago’s upcoming postseason run.

All signs point to Bregman, who went through a light workout prior to Tuesday’s game against the Marlins, avoiding a trip to the injured list. It’s an extremely positive update after he suffered multiple facial fractures when he was struck by a foul ball in the on-deck circle over the weekend. The 32-year-old third baseman is at least a couple days away from getting back into Chicago’s lineup, but it’s possible he’s back before the postseason gets underway next week. It’ll be rookie Pedro Ramírez taking over at the hot corner in his absence on Tuesday night.

It doesn’t sound like Bregman is going on the injured list for the final week of the regular season. However, he’s highly unlikely to be available in any capacity after being diagnosed with multiple facial fractures. The 32-year-old third baseman was injured in a freak accident where he was struck by a foul ball in the on-deck circle over the weekend. He’s aiming to make it back for the postseason. It’ll be rookie Pedro Ramírez taking over at the hot corner in his absence on Tuesday night.

It’s a massive relief that Bregman didn’t suffer any additional serious injuries when he was hurt in a freak accident while standing in the on-deck circle during Sunday’s game against the Reds. The 32-year-old third baseman was one of the hottest hitters in the game during the second half, hitting .296 (68-for-230) with 17 home runs and 48 RBI in 59 games following the All-Star break. It’s an unfortunate development for fantasy managers heading into the home stretch in rotisserie leagues, and head-to-head formats still running, but it sounds like there’s optimism that Bregman will be able to return at some point during Chicago’s upcoming postseason run. It’ll likely be a combination of Pedro Ramírez and Matt Shaw handling the hot corner in his absence.

Bregman, who had a cut and a bloody nose, is undergoing tests to see if any bones were broken. If he’s going to miss some time, the Cubs figure to use Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramírez at third base.

The ball bounced after a checked swing from Michael Busch and caught Bregman just under the bill of his helmet. Matt Shaw took over at third base.

The home run was a two-run shot off Khristian Curtis in the fourth. Bregman had seven homers and 11 doubles in 84 games through the end of June. He has 18 homers and 19 doubles in 61 games since.

Bregman absolutely had Jacob Misiorowski’s number in this one. He socked a two-run home run off him in the first inning and then plated two more with a two-out single in the second. That single felt like a huge moment at the time too as the Cubs opened up a 5-3 lead over their rivals and Bregman was pumping up his teammates from second base after the play. Chicago’s offense stalled after that, but don’t let that dampen how scalding hot Bregman suddenly is. During his current six-game hitting streak, he has five home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, and has raised his OPS by nearly 40 points.

Bregman now has 23 home runs on the year. He hit a pair of shots off Kyle Harrison in the second and fourth innings before adding another blast off a position player pitching in the eighth inning. Bregman now has 12 home runs in his last 23 games and has two games with three home runs in that span. He’s hitting .258 with a .785 OPS and 77 this season.

Bregman did his damage in the opening inning, crushing an 0-2 curveball from Andrew Abbott for a 416-foot (102.3-mph EV) two-run shot that increased the Cubs’ lead to 3-0 before an out had been recorded. He added an RBI single in the fourth inning and a double in the ninth for good measure. On the season, the 32-year-old third baseman is now slashing .255/.344/.422 with the aforementioned 20 long balls and 73 RBI on the season.