Veteran MLB umpire CB Bucknor, 63, endured a frightening moment during Wednesday’s game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. In the second inning, a foul ball off a pitch exceeding 100 mph from Jacob Misiorowski, hit by Nick Fortes, struck Bucknor directly in the mask at point-blank range.
The Scary On-Field Incident
Bucknor collapsed to his hands and knees following the impact. Brewers catcher William Contreras quickly turned to assist, while athletic trainers rushed to the scene. Looking groggy, Bucknor received help to his feet and was escorted off the field for medical evaluation. The game paused for about 15 minutes, with first base umpire Chad Fairchild stepping in behind the plate.
Bucknor’s Challenging Week
The incident capped a difficult stretch for Bucknor, who has officiated in MLB since 1996. Earlier on Saturday, during the Boston Red Sox-Cincinnati Reds matchup, teams successfully overturned six of eight challenges to his ball and strike calls under the league’s new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system.
Bucknor called Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story out on a checked swing. With challenges exhausted, Story and manager Alex Cora protested vehemently, leading to Cora’s ejection. Post-game, Cora remarked to reporters, “He has one job to do, call balls and strikes. It wasn’t his best day. That’s what the system does. It’s out there, everybody sees it, and he’ll be the first one to accept it.”
On Tuesday, as first base umpire in another Brewers-Rays game, Bucknor ruled Jake Bauers out for missing the bag on a run to first. Replays quickly disproved the call, and the Brewers overturned it via challenge.
Both teams expressed sympathy for Bucknor after Wednesday’s collision, highlighting the risks umpires face amid heightened scrutiny from the ABS system.
