It was 90 degrees at first pitch in Cincinnati, muggy on top of it, and by the end of the fourth inning it was clear something was wrong behind the plate. Gonzalez started showing signs of trouble, and what followed was a 14-minute delay while medical staff worked on him in front of both dugouts.
Umpire Manny Gonzalez left tonight's game in Cincinnati with heat exhaustion before receiving treatment for elevated blood pressure and dehydration that restored him to normal levels, per @Trags Reds-Padres was delayed for almost 15 minutes
A cart was reportedly brought out for him, but Gonzalez was able to get up on his own and walk off with help from the Reds' training staff instead of needing to be carted away — a small but real relief given how the scene looked in the moment. First-base umpire DJ Reyburn slid behind the plate and the remaining three-man crew finished the game.
Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez exited tonight's game in Cincinnati with heat exhaustion, receiving treatment for elevated blood pressure and dehydration. He is now resting comfortably after his blood pressure returned to normal, per @Trags.
Heat exhaustion for an ump isn't some rare freak occurrence — these guys are in full gear, squatting and standing for 3 hours straight, with zero breaks and zero shade behind the plate. A 90-degree night with humidity in Cincinnati is exactly the kind of setup that turns into a medical situation, and it's a reminder that umpires absorb a version of the same heat stress players do, minus the bench and the ice towels between innings.
The good news is the initial reporting: blood pressure back to normal, resting comfortably, no indication this is a lingering issue. MLB hasn't had a marquee umpire health scare like this get this much attention in a while, and it'll be worth watching whether Gonzalez is back on a crew soon or gets placed on a short evaluation period before his next assignment.