What’s Happening
Breaking it down: Bucknor was able to walk off the field after a hard hit to the face mask.
Bucknor helped off field taking foul ball directly to the face mask C. Bucknor was removed from Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning after taking a foul ball directly off his face mask. (wild, right?)
The incident occurred with two outs in the inning and Rays catcher Nick Fortes at the plate.
The Details
Brewers pitcher tried to strike Fortes out with an inside fastball on a 1-2 count. Fortes swung just under the ball, knocking it directly behind him and slightly up, causing it to collide with Bucknor’s face mask.
Bucknor, 63, ASAP stumbled to the ground and was tended to William Contreras before trainers got out to the field. Bucknor was evaluated at some point able to stand up under his own power, but it was determined Bucknor should leave the contest.
Why This Matters
He left the field with trainers, though was mostly able to walk on his own. Members of the Brewers’ training staff did assist Bucknor as he walked down into the team’s dugout to leave the contest. The incident came a day after Bucknor was involved in a controversial play call at first base.
Players and coaches will be watching how this unfolds closely.
Key Takeaways
- The play was challenged and clearly showed Bauers touching the base.
- Bucknor’s error was overturned, causing both managers to laugh at the sequence of events.
The Bottom Line
Near the end of that sequence, Brewers play-by-play announcer Jeff Levering quipped, “I’m fr excited for him to have the plate tomorrow,” obviously not knowing Bucknor would leave the contest early. On Sunday, Bucknor also caught flak from the fandom for having consecutive calls overturned during a crucial at-bat.
What’s your take on this whole situation?
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