Alex Bregman ‘planning on playing,’ manager says, after grim eye injury

Barely two days after a foul ball caught him flush in the left eye and jeopardized his chances of playing in the postseason, Alex Bregman donned a helmet, grabbed a bat and tracked pitches off a machine.

Most notably, he was not placed on the injured list and Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters in Chicago that despite Bregman suffering facial fractures, the club hopes he will play in the final regular season series this weekend in Boston, and perhaps the club's opening-round playoff series in one week.

"I think Alex is going to be fine," Counsell told reporters Tuesday, Sept. 22. "He's planning on playing."

Bregman was last publicly seen Sunday, sprinting from the on-deck circle at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park to the visiting clubhouse after a Michael Busch foul ball took one hop and drilled Bregman standing just a few yards away. An Instagram post showed how grim the damage was even as Bregman vowed a return.

The third baseman returned to Wrigley Field Tuesday, swelling in his face appearing to be down as he entered the stadium alongside baseball operations president Jed Hoyer. Eventually, he engaged in a light workout and headed to the club's Trajekt…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/