Ground ball bites Cubs' Ramirez in face

Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez on Wednesday become the second Cubs player in less than two weeks to be injured after taking a ball to the face.

Ramirez suffered a badly cut lip while attempting to make a play on a hard ground ball hit down the line by Astros' third baseman Chris Johnson in the seventh inning of the Cubs' 3-1 loss at Wrigley Field.

The two-time All-Star dived to his right, but the ball took a nasty hop and struck Ramirez in the mouth. He remained on the ground for a brief moment until a trainer came out to place a towel over his face and helped him off the field.

The 32-year-old third baseman was forced to leave the game and will require stitches, a team official told MLB.com.

Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd was taken to a Boston hospital May 21 after getting hit in the face by a pitch from Red Sox right-hander Alfredo Aceves.

Byrd suffered multiple fractures to his face and likely will be out of the lineup for six weeks.