Red Sox’s Walker Buehler Ejected In Third Inning In First Game Back From IL

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 04: Walker Buehler #0 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during the home opener at Fenway Park on April 04, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

In his first start back from the 15-day injured list, Red Sox right-hander Walker Buehler was ejected from his Tuesday start against the New York Mets in the third inning after arguing balls and strikes by plate umpire Mike Estabrook.

It all started after two balls to an open at-bat by Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor stole second. After the Lindor stolen base, Buehler yelled and pointed at Estabrook while approaching him. Buehler was quickly tossed out of the game, and moments later, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected.

First-base umpire Laz Diaz had to step in to keep Cora and Estabrook apart as the Red Sox manager was shouting at the plate umpire’s face for a while. During the shouting, Cora made contact with Diaz while continuing to yell at Estabrook. The manager finally made his way to the clubhouse while the fans cheered for him.

“It was weird; they were going back and forth,” Cora said in a press conference. “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.”

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It was the second straight game that the Red Sox played without their manager. He missed the series opener to attend his daughter’s graduation from Boston College. Ramon Vazquez replaced Cora both nights.

Relief pitcher Brennan Bernardino replaced Buehler and inherited the count on Soto. On four pitches, Bernardino walked Soto, but the bullpen held up the rest of the way as the Red Sox kept the Mets scoreless to a 2-0 win.

Buehler has started seven games so far in his first season with the Red Sox and entered Tuesday’s game with a 4-1 record and a 4.28 ERA.

“The pitch was in the strike zone,” said Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez on the postgame show on NESN. “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.”