ALEX BREGMAN TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER FOUL BALL STRIKES FACE

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was taken to hospital for X-rays and a CT scan after a foul ball struck him in the face during Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The ball struck him in the fourth inning as he stood near the on-deck circle. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Bregman was hit under the eye on the left cheekbone, was bleeding from the nose and had swelling to the area. Counsell called it "a terrible, terrible accident" and said he hoped Bregman would be fine. The Cubs went on to win the game 9-1.

The foul ball came off the bat of Cubs player Michael Busch, who checked his swing on a pitch thrown by Reds pitcher Luis Mey. Bregman immediately jogged towards the Cubs dugout with his hand covering the left side of his face. A trainer escorted him into the clubhouse, with blood visible on his face. Busch said the ball had come off hard, that contact near the head was frightening, and that he hoped his teammate would be fine.

Bregman is batting .262 this season with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs, having signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs in January. Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said he was hoping for good news about his teammate, calling the injury "scary stuff" and "such a rarity". Counsell said he had not yet considered how a long absence for Bregman might affect the postseason roster, adding that his priority was Bregman's wellbeing and that he wanted a full hospital report first. There was no immediate word on whether Bregman would travel back to Chicago with the team.