The Chicago Cubs were dealt an apparent blow this weekend after their third baseman, Alex Bregman, took a one-hop foul ball to the face, which forced him to leave the game on Sunday. Despite Bregman suffering multiple facial fractures, which he showed in a gruesome Instagram post, he'll remain off the injured list, with a possible return this weekend (wild).
The Philadelphia Phillies have been in lockstep with the Cubs in the Wild Card standings, so anything affecting Bregman represents a potential opportunity for the Phillies to take the first round if the matchup lines up next week.
The Phillies have a chunk of their players recovering from injury, but the Cubs can ill afford a loss such as Bregman. The Cubs' identity revolves around their offense. The Phillies' identity continues to be their ace-level starting pitching. The dynamic could shift dramatically if Bregman were in any way compromised for the Wild Card Series.
The Phillies could tip the scales of the Wild Card Series with the injury suffered to Alex Bregman
The Cubs lead all MLB with a 37.0 fWAR as an offense, the best mark in baseball. They also have scored the most runs in 2026 at 837. The player who has carried them through the second half has been Bregman at 3.4 fWAR, the third best in the NL during that span.
Any diminished version of Bregman zaps the power that the Cubs are looking to wield against the Phillies if they match up. The Phillies lead all MLB with a 17.7 fWAR from their starting pitching. Their 3.36 ERA from their starters in the second half is also the third-best mark down the stretch. The Phillies are harboring an unknown now in Jesús Luzardo, but there should be a chance to utilize him out of the bullpen to start the playoffs. That would be something the Phillies could implement to help bridge the gap from their excellent starting staff to Jhoan Duran.
Anything can happen in a three-game series. The Phillies have the starting depth to maximize their starters in games while also deploying some other ones out of the bullpen. It's a recipe that might just be crazy enough to work and will be extremely helpful navigating through a tough Chicago lineup. Baseball is a team sport, but it's all hands on deck once October hits. As the Phillies have seen before, nothing is guaranteed and every bit of help matters.
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