MLB

Cubs keep Alex Bregman off injured list after facial fractures

Chicago has not ruled out a return before the regular season ends, but Craig Counsell has yet to confirm when Bregman can rejoin the lineup.

By The Sporting Page Editorial StaffTSP News Brief
Alex Bregman waits on deck before the Cubs game against Cincinnati.
Alex Bregman waits on deck before the Cubs game against Cincinnati, September 18, 2026. · Credit: Aaron Doster / Imagn Images

The Cubs are keeping Alex Bregman off the injured list after he suffered facial fractures when a foul ball struck him in the on-deck circle Sunday.

Manager Craig Counsell said September 22 that Chicago had not ruled out a return before the regular season ends. USA TODAY reported that Bregman had put on a helmet and tracked pitches from a machine as he began working back toward game activity.

The Cubs finish their regular-season schedule with a series in Boston, giving that possibility a narrow window. Counsell has not confirmed a date for Bregman's return to the lineup.

Chicago is assessing him daily, and remaining on the active roster keeps the earlier-return option available. The next meaningful update will be whether he can progress from that controlled work to playing in a game.

Reporting sources: USA TODAY reporting from Counsell's update; RotoWire on the Cubs' roster decision

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This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with USA TODAY reporting from Counsell's update.

Read at USA TODAY reporting from Counsell's update