On some game days, certain decisions by MLB umpires only reinforce why calls for robot umpires are growing louder. Sunday’s matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Rays provided another example. A first-base umpire sparked widespread frustration among fans after ruling that the Diamondbacks’ $42 million outfielder had been hit by a pitch, a decision that quickly became a talking point.

With the Diamondbacks trailing 3-0 on Sunday, backup catcher Adrian Del Castillo’s lead-off single brought Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the plate. It marked the start of an interesting at-bat. On a 1-0 count, the outfielder swung right through Drew Rasmussen’s pitch. The righty’s throw backed him up so much that it hit Gurriel Jr.’s collarbone area on the right. It was a strike, plain and simple, and that was the expected ruling from the umpire. But first base umpire Chad Whitson had other ideas. He called it a hit-by-pitch, to the shock of players and fans alike. The decision instantly triggered fan outrage.

“Ump blind as hell,” wrote an enraged fan on X.

According to MLB’s rules, a player must not attempt to swing and must make an effort to avoid being hit by the pitch to be awarded a hit-by-pitch. However, none of the criteria were met when Rasmussen’s pitch hit Gurriel Jr., yet he was awarded a walk to first base.

When the Rays objected to Whitson’s decision, the umpire offered an explanation which the broadcaster dubbed “absolutely terrible.”

According to Whitson, it was not a full swing, and the momentum of the pitch took Gurriel Jr. down, but how that nullifies the clearly visible swing remains a mystery.

Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the Rays dropped the Diamondbacks (41-42) below .500 as Merrill Kelly struggled on the mound. Across 6 innings, he allowed 5 runs on 8 hits, surrendering three homers, out of which Junior Caminero launched two. It marked Kelly’s fifth consecutive loss of the season, spiking his ERA to 5.84.

With the victory, the Rays completed a series sweep for the eighth time this season. Rasmussen threw six shutout innings, letting the D’backs score once relief pitching took over. However, the Rays’ relievers allowed only one run to Ketel Marte, who launched a solo homer in the eighth. The single run capped off Arizona’s attempt at offensive contribution.

While Gurriel Jr.’s walk from the HBP put a runner in scoring position, they could not capitalize against Rasmussen. Though Gurriel Jr. remained in the game after the hit, he was reportedly stretching his shoulder against the outfield wall in the fifth. However, manager Torey Lovullo and trainers, who checked on him, assured that he is doing fine.

Meanwhile, fans have continued to vent against Whitson’s call on social media.

MLB umpire’s controversial decision causes fan outrage

“He was hit *after* the bat crossed the plate. It’s a swing, and this incident shows just how bad MLB umpiring has become,” wrote a fan on X.

Though MLB has clear guidelines around a hit-by-pitch, the same cannot be said about the check swing rule. It rests upon the umpire’s discretion whether he will declare it a swing or not. The controversy arose because the hit-by-pitch rules conflicted with the umpire’s judgment that the batter had offered at the pitch.

Citing the 1965 World Series, another fan commented, “Arguably worse than the Sandy Koufax check swings video. ‘He swung, but it was the momentum that did it.’ Lol”

The iconic check swing videos from the 1965 World Series feature the Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax’s throws to the Minnesota Twins’ Don Mincher. The series of Game 7 clips shows how Mincher’s half or almost full swings were ruled as balls by the umpire. It highlights the massive changes baseball has undergone, as those would be strikes in today’s world.

“This might be the worst call I’ve ever seen,” a user wrote, while another posted a screengrab of the sequence with the caption, “‘He got hit. His momentum takes him.’ Meanwhile, this is where his bat was before the ball even hit him.”

MLB’s hit-by-pitch rule provides two conditions: a player must not swing, and he must try to move out of the way. However, the broadcast clearly shows Gurriel Jr. halfway through the swing before the ball even hits him. So Whitson’s explanation behind his judgment call that the momentum from the ball made him swing his bat that way appears weak.

Meanwhile, a fan questioned Gurriel Jr.’s decision, writing, “Why swing at a ball that’s going to hit him?”

According to a March 30 article by Johnny Flores Jr. in The Athletic, Chad Whitson topped the list of umpires with the highest overturn rates. All seven of the challenged calls he made during the Yankees-Giants finale were overturned, giving him a 100.0% overturn percentage.

Moving on, the 32-year-old’s whiff rate increased to 24.6% this season, which is higher than his career average. He is struggling at the plate in 2026, hitting .219 with only 1 homer and 16 RBIs in 34 games.

As controversies around check swing rulings increase, perhaps MLB would consider introducing stricter rules in the near future.