Fri May 23 20:50:00 UTC 2025: **Red Sox’s Buehler Ejected in Contentious Return; Boston Still Beats Mets**
BOSTON — Right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler’s return from the injured list was short-lived Tuesday night, as he was ejected from the Boston Red Sox’s game against the New York Mets in the third inning after arguing a ball and strike call with home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.
The ejection occurred after Francisco Lindor stole second base with Buehler approaching the umpire with vociferous complaints. Moments later, manager Alex Cora was also ejected after a heated exchange with Estabrook, during which he made contact with first-base umpire Laz Diaz who stepped in to keep the two apart.
“It was weird; they were going back and forth,” Cora said of the debate between Buehler and Estabrook. “I don’t know what the exchange was, but I’ve been at this for a few years, and I was just begging, ‘Just give me a break. I’ll go out and you can throw me out, and we can keep the pitcher in the game.’ But I guess he had enough. I don’t know why.”
Crew chief Diaz told a pool reporter that Buehler was ejected for leaving the mound to argue balls and strikes, a violation of league rules.
Buehler, who was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier in the day after recovering from bursitis in his right shoulder, expressed regret for putting his team in a difficult position. “For me, it kind of spiraled a little bit, and I said some things that he thought I shouldn’t have said and whatnot. At the end of the day, putting our team in a position like that is the only thing I really regret about that situation.”
Despite the early exit of their starter, the Red Sox bullpen stepped up, pitching a combined shutout to secure a 2-0 victory. Brennan Bernardino replaced Buehler, but the bullpen held up for the remainder of the game. Bench coach Ramon Vazquez managed the team in Cora’s absence for the second consecutive game, as Cora missed Monday’s game for his daughter’s graduation.
Catcher Carlos Narvaez defended Buehler, saying, “The pitch was in the strike zone. He was fighting with the guy behind the plate. He was saying, ‘Hey, that was in the middle.’ And the guy was saying, ‘No.’ And it was back and forth. Buehler is an emotional guy, he’s a competitor. It was just the emotions of the game.”
The Red Sox optioned Nick Burdi to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Buehler on the roster. Buehler, who signed with Boston as a free agent this past December after spending his career with the Dodgers, is 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA in seven starts this season.
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