Cubs’ untimely Alex Bregman injury leaves Brewers’ rival vulnerable as NL Wild Card race heats up

I won't share it here for those who are sensitive to these kinds of things, but in case you missed it, Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman -- in the midst of an iridescent hot streak -- was in the wrong place at the wrong time over the weekend. A check-swing foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch caught him square in the eye while in the on-deck circle, leading to multiple facial fractures.

Naturally, he's had to sit out for a few games, all of which the Cubs have lost. Their Magic Number to clinch a postseason spot remains at one, so this shouldn't impact their ability to get to October, but it does seem to be harming their pursuit of the top Wild Card spot in the National League.

That's especially true following the news that they won't be placing Bregman on the injured list, meaning they'll continue to play a man down until he returns to the lineup. Barring a sudden hot streak in the final weekend of the season, it's getting harder to imagine the Cubs making it far enough in October to set up a rematch of last year's NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Without Alex Bregman and an extra bench bat, Cubs have officially fell out of NL's top Wild Card spot

The wisdom in this choice is obvious; if Bregman really is healthy, then it's more important to have him available for the Wild Card Round than an additional bench player for the final series of the regular season. Had he been placed on the IL, he wouldn't have been available for the beginning of the postseason.

Still, they've fallen out of the top Wild Card spot and are dangerously close to slipping all the way to the No. 6 seed. That would force them to go on the road to face either the Padres (if Chicago gets the second Wild Card) or Braves (third Wild Card), where they've been worse this year compared to their efforts at Wrigley Field.

If they can get the No. 5 seed or higher, that would set up a potential NLDS clash with the Brewers, assuming the Crew hold onto the best record in baseball. That would be quite the favorable matchup for Milwaukee, who won the season series 9-4 and have a massive advantage when it comes to pitching talent in both the rotation and bullpen.

In order to get there, though, the North Siders will need to score more than the two runs per game they've put on the board without Bregman.

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