MILWAUKEE — A veteran baseball umpire was forced to exit Wednesday’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers after taking a direct hit from a foul ball to his protective face gear.
C.B. Bucknor, who was officiating behind home plate, was struck during the second inning when Rays batter Nick Fortes made contact with a 100-mph fastball thrown by Milwaukee pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The ball ricocheted backward and collided with Bucknor’s face mask.
The 63-year-old official immediately dropped to his knees following the impact while Brewers catcher William Contreras rushed to assist him. Milwaukee’s medical personnel quickly arrived on the field to evaluate Bucknor before he was escorted off the playing surface.
Following Bucknor’s exit, Chad Fairchild moved from his first-base umpiring position to take over home plate duties, reducing the officiating crew to three members. The incident caused approximately 13 minutes of game delay.
