Alex Bregman Takes a Foul Ball to the Face, Somehow Avoids Surgery

The Chicago Cubs just watched their $175 million investment take a stray foul ball directly to the face, and somehow, the season is not completely over.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Cubs star Alex Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures while standing in the on-deck circle on Sunday. The wild part is that he will not need surgery and is actually hoping to return for the postseason.

"Bregman posted an Instagram selfie saying 'Thanks for all the messages yall. I'll be back.'"

Friendly fire is usually reserved for bad tweets and awkward press conferences, but teammate Michael Busch managed to do real physical damage. Busch checked his swing on a pitch from Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Mey in the fourth inning, sending a rocket straight into Bregman's left cheekbone.

This is not just a bad bruise for a depth guy. Bregman is hitting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs this year after signing a massive five-year free-agent deal in January. Losing that kind of production right before October is the kind of bad beat that makes futures bettors stare blankly at a wall.

You have to respect the absolute refusal to stay down, though. While manager Craig Counsell was calling it a terrible accident and waiting on CT scans, Bregman was already posting a bloody, swollen selfie on Instagram telling everyone he will be back.

The Cubs cruised to a 9-1 win over Cincinnati despite the chaos, but the real test starts now. Chicago gets a day off before hosting the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, and they will have to figure out how to bridge the gap at third base until their star is cleared to put a helmet back on for the playoffs.