Report: MLB considers C.B. Bucknor-Oliver Marmol incident settled

Handshake-gate between St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and umpire C.B. Bucknor has reportedly been put to rest.

According to an ESPN report, MLB officials expect Bucknor and Marmol to "move forward without incident," after the league talked with both sides about what happened on Saturday, when the longtime umpire refused to shake Marmol's hand prior to a spring training game.

After the Cardinals-Nationals contest, Marmol criticized Bucknor for his actions (or lack thereof).

What followed was a three-day review over the incident.

The issues between Bucknor and Marmol date back to an August 2022 regular season game, when the umpire ejected the manager after a disputed strike call. Per the ESPN report, Marmol appeared to "tell Bucknor that his time in the sport was done," while Bucknor "yelled back that Marmol, relatively new to his position as St. Louis manager, had just gotten to the big leagues."

The 60-year-old Bucknor has been an MLB umpire since the 1996, when the now-36-year-old Marmol was still a pre-teen. He was the Cardinals first base coach from 2017 through 2021 and is starting his second season as the team's manager.

Bucknor was back on the field for the Cardinals' spring training game against the New York Mets on Monday and he and Marmol completed the customary pregame handshake.