C.B. Bucknor’s week just keeps getting worse.
On Wednesday, he was behind the plate as the Brewers hosted the Rays in the final contest of their three-game series. It’s always an adventure when Bucknor is on balls and strikes, but things took a turn early in the afternoon.
During the top of the second inning, with two outs and a 1-2 count, Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski unleashed a 100-mph fastball to Nick Fortes. Tampa Bay’s starting catcher swung and got a piece of the ball to foul it straight back, where it hit Bucknor right on the mask. He immediately hit the dirt and looked dazed.
Video is below.
CB Bucknor took a foul ball to the mask and was in visible pain.
— js9innings (@js9inningsmedia) April 1, 2026
He left today’s game as he may have a concussion. pic.twitter.com/YHuluPblER
That is as loud as you’ll ever hear a fastball off the mask. Here’s hoping he’s O.K.
After a few minutes, Bucknor left the field, and he was replaced behind the plate by Chad Fairchild. Well, that’s one way to avoid the ABS challenge system.
Bucknor has made plenty of headlines this week for his work behind the plate and in the field. Long regarded as one of the worst ball/strike umpires in baseball, Bucknor lived down to that reputation during his first time as a home plate umpire during the ABS era.
On Saturday, as the Red Sox and Reds faced off, the 63-year-old had eight of his calls challenged, with six overturned. I would have been worse, but Boston failed on both of its challenges early and was powerless to overturn some truly horrendous calls later in the game. Red Sox manager Alex Cora wound up getting tossed, while shortstop Trevor Story had to be held back by coaches.
Bucknor was almost as bad in the field on Tuesday night in the Brewers’ 6-2 win over the Rays. In the bottom of the sixth, Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers hit a rocket that was destined for right field before Tampa’s Ben Williamson was able to knock the ball down. He rushed his throw to first though and it sailed pass first baseman Jonathan Aranda. Bauers was safe at first. That is, until Bucknor got involved.
The veteran umpire, who has somehow worked in the postseason five times, claimed that Bauers hadn’t touched first base and was therefore out when the Rays eventually threw the ball to the bag. The Brewers immediately challenged the call, and it was overturned quickly, because video showed Bauers had very clearly hit the base with his entire foot, and Bucknor did not appear to be looking at the time. The game’s two managers could only laugh about how bad the call was.
For those unfamiliar with Bucknor, the website Ump Scorecards, which tracks ball-strike call accuracy, has him ranked as the second-worst umpire with more than 100 games under his belt since 2020. His accuracy on calls in that time is listed at 92.43, while Rob Drake is last at 92.35. For comparison, John Libka is the best among umpires with more than 100 games behind the dish, at 95.05. Bucknor is also dead last in correct calls above expected as -257.51. Second worst is Laz Diaz at -202.3. That’s a sizable gap, so it’s not shocking in the least that he’s regularly getting embarrassed by instant replay and ABS.
Bucknor’s awful stretch of umpiring was capped off by being escorted from the field with a potential concussion on Wednesday. It just hasn’t been his week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as C.B. Bucknor’s Rough Week Takes Painful Turn As Foul Ball Forces Him to Leave Game.
