North Carolina Professional Athletes

Two Tar Heels, one horrifying moment — and the Chicago Cubs may be paying for it deep into October.

On Sunday, Sept. 20 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Michael Busch checked his swing on a Luis Mey pitch in the fourth inning and fouled the ball directly into the face of teammate Alex Bregman, who was standing in the on-deck circle. Bregman, a fellow UNC alum, immediately covered his face and jogged toward the Cubs dugout bleeding. He did not return to the game.

The Cubs won 9-1, keeping themselves atop the tight NL wild card race — but the cost was steep. Tests revealed that Bregman had suffered facial fractures, with the ball striking him just below his right eye. Bregman later posted a gruesome photo to Instagram showing the extent of the injury. Cubs manager Craig Counsell called it a "terrible accident" and offered a concerning update following the Reds series, noting Bregman had been sent to a local hospital for further evaluation.

With Chicago in the thick of a playoff race, the timing could hardly be worse. Bregman is one of the Cubs' most critical bats, and his availability for the stretch run — and any potential postseason — is now in serious question.

Busch, for his part, hasn't let the incident derail his own contributions. The first baseman collected hits in multiple games against Miami and Boston in the days following the incident, and was actually named a Cubs "Hero" in their victory over the Reds on the very day his foul ball sent Bregman to the hospital. Over the week, he recorded hits in three of four games with plate appearances recorded, hitting .243 at his peak and showing consistent on-base production with multiple walks.

Aaron Sabato Gets His Moment

While the Busch-Bregman story dominated UNC's MLB week, Chapel Hill sent another alumnus to the big leagues. First baseman Aaron Sabato was selected by the Minnesota Twins to cap the final week of the regular season, with the club designating catcher Alex Jackson for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot. Sabato made his major league debut against the Giants — a fitting if brief reward at the end of a long climb through the minors for the former Tar Heel slugger.

Around the Horn

Landen Roupp's season came to a quiet close as the Giants shut down the right-hander, making him the last remaining Opening Day roster player standing in San Francisco — a small footnote to an otherwise turbulent year for the club.

Zac Gallen continued to struggle, logging just one inning in Arizona's Sept. 26 win over San Diego while his ERA sat at 6.07. Sports Illustrated floated his name as a Cardinals offseason target despite the rough numbers — a sign that his pedigree still commands attention even in a down year.

Brendon Little pitched a clean inning for Toronto on Sept. 26, striking out one, though his 6.35 ERA reflects a difficult season for the Blue Jays reliever. Cooper Criswell worked in and out of high-leverage spots for Seattle, posting a 3.40 ERA across multiple appearances during the week.

For Tar Heel fans, though, this week belongs entirely to Busch and Bregman — two Chapel Hill products whose careers briefly and painfully intersected in a moment no one will forget.

Two Tar Heels, Two Very Different September Stories

North Carolina's MLB alumni had a week of contrasts — one first baseman quietly reminding Chicago what he's capable of, and one former ace navigating a humbling transition in the desert.

Michael Busch Is Turning It On at the Right Time

Michael Busch has spent most of 2026 overshadowed by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman in a loaded Cubs lineup. But down the stretch, the former Tar Heel is making sure he's part of the conversation.

Busch went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI in Chicago's 5-2 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 19, capping a week in which he reached base consistently and showed flashes of the bat that made him a prospect worth tracking. He also collected two hits in the Cubs' Sept. 13 win over Pittsburgh and drew multiple walks in back-to-back appearances against Atlanta and Cincinnati. His batting average, sitting at .239 on the season, doesn't jump off the page — but the quality of at-bats and the timing of his production are the real story here.

With Chicago pushing toward October, Busch's ability to contribute against left- and right-handed pitching gives the Cubs lineup a useful complementary piece. The question is whether the hot finish becomes a platform for a bigger role in 2027, or simply a footnote to a season dominated by bigger names. For now, the Chapel Hill kid is doing exactly what a depth piece needs to do in September: stay ready and deliver when called.

Gallen Demoted to Relief as Arizona's Season Unravels

The news on the other side of the ledger is harder to spin. Zac Gallen, once the undisputed ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation, has been moved to the bullpen as the organization responds to a prolonged struggle on the mound.

Gallen's Sept. 19 outing told the story plainly: three innings against the Yankees, two strikeouts, one earned run, and a season ERA that ballooned to 6.12. Arizona lost 9-2. The role change isn't punitive so much as practical — the Diamondbacks need arms out of the bullpen down the stretch, and Gallen's stuff may play better in shorter bursts while he works through whatever has plagued him this season.

The fall is steep for a pitcher who was a legitimate Cy Young contender not long ago. Whether this is a mechanical detour or something more structural is a question Arizona's front office will spend the offseason answering. But for now, the former UNC star is being asked to reinvent himself in real time, with the season already out of reach.

Around the Horn

Cooper Criswell continued his steady work out of Seattle's bullpen, logging outings on Sept. 13, 15, and 17 with a 3.38 ERA that reflects the kind of quiet reliability the Mariners have leaned on all year. Landen Roupp gave San Francisco 4.1 innings against St. Louis on Sept. 14, striking out four and allowing two runs. Neither storyline moved the needle dramatically, but both Tar Heels are earning their roster spots in September — which, for middle-relief arms, is the whole job.

Two North Carolina alumni commanded attention across the majors this week, with Zac Gallen making his long-awaited return to the Arizona rotation and Michael Busch putting together one of his best offensive stretches of the season for the Cubs.

Gallen Back on the Mound for Arizona

The Diamondbacks reinstated Gallen from the 60-day injured list ahead of their Wednesday series finale in Kansas City — a move anticipated by the Arizona beat and confirmed by the club before first pitch. The right-hander's return filled out Arizona's 40-man roster, and the team simultaneously activated Michael Soroka from the 15-day IL, sending Kade Strowd and Blake Walston back to Triple-A.

The results in Gallen's first start back were mixed. He logged 3.1 innings, struck out one, and allowed one earned run — a modest but unsurprising line for a pitcher shaking off extended IL time. His ERA sits at 6.22, but for a Diamondbacks club clinging to playoff positioning, simply having a veteran arm back in the rotation is the real headline. Arizona had been tracking toward his activation for days before making it official, a sign of how much they needed the depth.

Busch Driving In Runs at a Steady Clip

While Gallen was easing back into action, Busch was doing anything but coasting. The Cubs first baseman produced RBIs in four consecutive games this week, making him one of the more quietly consistent bats in Chicago's lineup during a stretch run that matters.

The week's high point came Friday against Pittsburgh, when Busch went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in a 12-2 Cubs rout — part of a game that also featured a Seiya Suzuki multi-hit performance and a two-run homer from Alex Bregman. Busch followed that up Saturday by going 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a tighter 4-3 Cubs win over the same Pirates club. He also contributed an RBI in Tuesday's and Wednesday's games against Milwaukee, giving him six RBIs across a five-game stretch. His batting average has nudged up to .237.

Earlier in the week, Busch had an RBI in Chicago's 6-5 win over Miami on Sunday, Sep. 6, though the game fell just outside the primary week's statistical window.

Thornton Hits the IL; Roupp Turns in Quality Start

The Cubs news wasn't entirely positive for the Tar Heel contingent. Reliever Trent Thornton — another UNC product on Chicago's roster — was placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday with a left ankle sprain, ending what had been a solid September for the righty. He had appeared in three games this week alone, posting a 3.35 ERA before the injury.

Out west, Landen Roupp gave Giants fans something to appreciate on Wednesday, tossing six innings and allowing just one run against the Cardinals while striking out two in a 2-1 San Francisco win. The quality start kept Roupp's ERA at an even 4.00 on the season.

It's a strong week for Chapel Hill's MLB footprint — a rotation anchor returning from injury, a first baseman heating up in a pennant race, and a starter delivering when his team needed a win. The Tar Heel pipeline remains deep.

Michael Busch Carries UNC's Cubs Contingent

It was a productive week for North Carolina alumni in MLB, with Michael Busch providing the highlight reel and Nick Raquet's departure from Baltimore closing one chapter in his career.

Busch was the most active Tar Heel at the plate, stringing together hits across multiple games during a stretch that saw the Cubs trade wins and losses with the Brewers, Marlins, and Reds. He collected hits on August 30 and 31 against Milwaukee, added another on September 1, then saved his best for the Marlins series. On Friday, September 4, he crushed a two-run home run — part of a 1-for-3 outing with two runs scored and a walk — though a Cubs bullpen collapse turned a promising night into a 10-8 loss. He followed that up Saturday with a two-hit, one-RBI performance as Chicago knocked Miami 6-1, with Busch crossing the plate once for good measure. His batting average settled at .237 on the week, modest by star standards but a sign of consistent contact production down the stretch.

Fellow Tar Heel Trent Thornton also appeared for the Cubs, working in relief across several outings. He struck out one over a scoreless inning against the Reds on August 30 and fanned two in two-thirds of an inning against the Brewers on September 2, carrying a 3.40–3.55 ERA band throughout the week. His most notable moment came at the wrong end of a highlight: Reds rookie Sal Stewart tagged him for a home run — Stewart's 31st of the season — during a 7-5 Cincinnati win on September 5.

Roupp Deals, Little Logs Ks for Struggling Blue Jays

Giants right-hander Landen Roupp gave San Francisco a quality outing on September 2, tossing five innings against Pittsburgh while surrendering just one earned run and punching out four. It was an encouraging start for a pitcher who has battled ERA inconsistency, and it came with the Giants competing for postseason positioning. His ERA dropped to 4.17 on the outing.

In Toronto, Brendon Little continues to work as a late-inning arm for the Blue Jays despite a bloated 7.54 ERA. He struck out one in a clean inning against the Royals on September 5 after fanning two against Cleveland on September 2 — small positives in an otherwise difficult season. Cooper Criswell, meanwhile, has been a quiet steadying presence out of Seattle's bullpen, logging scoreless work in three separate appearances across the week and holding his ERA at 3.27.

Raquet Hits Free Agency After Orioles DFA

The week's most significant roster news for UNC alumni came out of Baltimore. The Orioles designated left-hander Nick Raquet for assignment on September 2, clearing roster space to add right-hander Albert Suárez and left-hander Luis De León. Raquet cleared waivers and was released outright, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any club. He was one of two pitchers designated in the same flurry of moves, alongside righty Cameron Weston. Raquet's fellow UNC alum Jacob Stallings remains on the Baltimore roster at catcher, and Vance Honeycutt continues to man center field for the Orioles as they push through September.

A full week of Tar Heel activity with no shortage of storylines — Busch doing damage in the Midwest, arms logging innings from Seattle to Toronto, and one Chapel Hill product hitting the open market looking for his next shot.