Has anyone returned to umpiring or officiating after spinal fusion surgery?

[wolfe_man]

I’m interested to know if anyone has returned to officiating or umpiring after having spinal fusion surgery. If you’ve had serious spine issues that required surgery, I’d like to hear about your experience—specifically, whether you were able to return to officiating once you had recovered, and if you faced any challenges in doing so

Over the past year, I’ve had two laminectomies with spinal fusion—one in my cervical spine (6 level fusion) and one in my lumbar spine (4 level fusion). I’m still recovering and continue to experience some challenges, including occasional balance issues, difficulty walking (I’m not able to run yet), and several neurological symptoms caused by nerves that were pinched and haven’t fully healed. 

 

Despite these challenges, I feel like I’m getting closer to a breakthrough and hope to possibly return to officiating this summer or next year, if it’s safe to do so. My doctor is optimistic and says I’m actually healthier and more protected now with the fusion than I was before surgery. Still, it would mean a lot to hear from those of you who have been through this—your firsthand experiences and advice would be invaluable as I consider my next steps.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

For fun, here’s a couple x-rays showing my new titanium supports!

[Aging_Arbiter]

I have.  However, mine was only 2 levels.  C5-6 and C6-7.  Force 3 mask is my best friend now.

[wolfe_man]

22 minutes ago, Aging_Arbiter said:

I have.  However, mine was only 2 levels.  C5-6 and C6-7.  Force 3 mask is my best friend now.

Do you find it safer due to the springs?  V3?

I was thinking weight, especially lighter, might be best to keep neck from being too worn out.  But I get the springs absorbing the impact versus transferring to the neck also.

[grayhawk]

I have a C5 - T2 fusion after a spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the chest down before the surgery. It took me about 2 years to plateau in my recovery. Today, I still have weakness in my right leg, including spasticity and hyper-reflexivity. I can't feel hot/cold/pain from my chest down on the left side. This is called Brown-Seccard syndrome which is where one side of the spinal cord suffers an injury.

I can't run very well, certainly nothing like I could before the injury. But I generally get to where I need to be. Working the plate is actually easier for me than working the bases because except for getting the touch/play back into 1B, or rotating to 3B, there's not as much movement required. I work more 3-man than anything and most of my games are at the JUCO level, though I've worked as high as D2 after my injury.

Given that your whole neck is fused, one of the more difficult things you'll have to adjust to is that your head is most definitely not "on a swivel" anymore. You'll have to turn your shoulders much more while you're running to see touches, pick up the ball in the outfield, etc. Depending on how far back you get with your mobility will determine if you can get back on the field. As far as safety is concerned, my surgeon told me the same thing. My neck is locked in with the fusion. I had a F3 mask but opted for the Nike Ti with Wilson memory foam pads and am glad I did. The F3 is very heavy, and I think my current setup is better since I've taken countless hard shots without feeling a thing, whereas the one hard shot I took in the brief time I used the F3 rung my bell a bit.

I wish you the best in your recovery. It's hard work but as long as you have a positive attitude and give maximum effort, that's all you can do and I bet it will be enough.

[BLarson]

Wow...that's crazy.
@grayhawk amazing recovery...keep on, keeping on

@wolfe_man I wish you nothing but the best on your healing and recovery, and chance to get back out doing what you love.

[Velho]

Taking the 'robot-umps' things a bit literally guys 😁

[wolfe_man]

4 hours ago, grayhawk said:

I have a C5 - T2 fusion after a spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the chest down before the surgery. It took me about 2 years to plateau in my recovery. Today, I still have weakness in my right leg, including spasticity and hyper-reflexivity. I can't feel hot/cold/pain from my chest down on the left side. This is called Brown-Seccard syndrome which is where one side of the spinal cord suffers an injury.

I can't run very well, certainly nothing like I could before the injury. But I generally get to where I need to be. Working the plate is actually easier for me than working the bases because except for getting the touch/play back into 1B, or rotating to 3B, there's not as much movement required. I work more 3-man than anything and most of my games are at the JUCO level, though I've worked as high as D2 after my injury.

Given that your whole neck is fused, one of the more difficult things you'll have to adjust to is that your head is most definitely not "on a swivel" anymore. You'll have to turn your shoulders much more while you're running to see touches, pick up the ball in the outfield, etc. Depending on how far back you get with your mobility will determine if you can get back on the field. As far as safety is concerned, my surgeon told me the same thing. My neck is locked in with the fusion. I had a F3 mask but opted for the Nike Ti with Wilson memory foam pads and am glad I did. The F3 is very heavy, and I think my current setup is better since I've taken countless hard shots without feeling a thing, whereas the one hard shot I took in the brief time I used the F3 rung my bell a bit.

I wish you the best in your recovery. It's hard work but as long as you have a positive attitude and give maximum effort, that's all you can do and I bet it will be enough.

Thank you! This is exactly the kind of thing I hoped to hear.

I have the same hot/cold/no sensation except mine is the right side - from the upper chest to the bottom of my right foot, literally splitting right down the middle of my chest. 

I can’t run yet without tripping due to left side lagging a bit and my foot drags, but it’s getting better. 

I’m learning firsthand what people mean when they say that your new job post- fusion is to keep moving and strengthening your core to prevent further issues. It’s literally changed my entire life. I’ve come a long way, but have a good ways to go yet.

I really appreciate you guys sharing. I think one of the hardest parts about having the surgery is that since each person heals differently and has a little different case, there isn’t a lot of useful information to share, so you’re always wondering if you’re where you should be or not. This helps!

[Velho]

2 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

I’m learning firsthand what people mean when they say that your new job post- fusion is to keep moving and strengthening your core to prevent further issues. It’s literally changed my entire life. I’ve come a long way, but have a good ways to go yet.

Happy to see you're on the path to recovery Wolfie.

Know that I'm taking your learnings to heart. Through a combo of working too much and traveling I wasn't moving much and my lower back was in a bad way. I've realized I've got nerve issues that I can't ignore anymore, gotten back to moving enough every single day, and am figuring out the various muscle imbalances. It's got to become a way of daily life forever more. Simple as that.

[grayhawk]

11 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

I really appreciate you guys sharing. I think one of the hardest parts about having the surgery is that since each person heals differently and has a little different case, there isn’t a lot of useful information to share, so you’re always wondering if you’re where you should be or not. This helps!

This is very true. Nobody can tell you what your recovery will be like. Right after my surgery, the doctor gave me a 70% chance to walk again. I was determined to get back on the college baseball field, and I've not only done that, but I also snow ski. Not as well as before, but I'm still doing things that I love to do. Best of luck to you!

[umpstu]

12 hours ago, Velho said:

Happy to see you're on the path to recovery Wolfie.

Know that I'm taking your learnings to heart. Through a combo of working too much and traveling I wasn't moving much and my lower back was in a bad way. I've realized I've got nerve issues that I can't ignore anymore, gotten back to moving enough every single day, and am figuring out the various muscle imbalances. It's got to become a way of daily life forever more. Simple as that.

My fusion is in my lower back. It worked very well and didn't take long to get back on a field. But, over the years the same area has taken to become pained again and I have had to have two more surgeries to have spinal cord stimulators installed and have to balance between that and pain meds to alleviate the pain. Also have had nerves caurterized in the upper and lower area of my back. YMMD. 

Like you, I find not moving that area of my back to contribute to my pain. I try to walk at least 3-5 miles per day. 

[Mussgrass]

This week 6 years ago I was dealing with an intra-dural disc herniation that severely pinched the nerve roots in my L1-L2. My right leg lost function as the week went on. All caused by a sneeze that I tensed up on. I had surgery 1 week after the event. No hardware, just a partial laminotomy to remove bone so they could get the pieces of disc out.

I still have foot drop and weakness in my right leg. But, God is good! I can do almost everything I want to. It took me 2 years to get back on the field. I still can't run fast and I do have some tingling and loss of feeling and function in my leg.

Do all the exercises and work you can. Even if there is some permanent damage you can making the muscles that work as strong as they can be. Know your limits and keep pushing.

[wolfe_man]

1 hour ago, umpstu said:

My fusion is in my lower back. It worked very well and didn't take long to get back on a field. But, over the years the same area has taken to become pained again and I have had to have two more surgeries to have spinal cord stimulators installed and have to balance between that and pain meds to alleviate the pain. Also have had nerves caurterized in the upper and lower area of my back. YMMD. 

Like you, I find not moving that area of my back to contribute to my pain. I try to walk at least 3-5 miles per day. 

Ouch. I'm worried about ASD (adjacent segment disease). The x-rays already mention that the disc above is starting to wear, although they note it can just be normal and not necessarily ASD. 

I'm 47, so I figure I've got a few more surgeries ahead of me, but really hoping not after this last one.  The cervical one healed fast for me, but this lumbar one is rough and really taking all I can give it.  I'm still rocking Sketcher's slip-on's because it hurts too much to try to bend over to tie my shoes.  I'm finally starting to feel less pain and more freedom of movement at almost 12 months out (3/31 is a year). 

Fully agree on the moving too.  The more I move the better I feel generally. 

 

[wolfe_man]

On 3/12/2026 at 12:49 PM, Mussgrass said:

This week 6 years ago I was dealing with an intra-dural disc herniation that severely pinched the nerve roots in my L1-L2. My right leg lost function as the week went on. All caused by a sneeze that I tensed up on. I had surgery 1 week after the event. No hardware, just a partial laminotomy to remove bone so they could get the pieces of disc out.

I still have foot drop and weakness in my right leg. But, God is good! I can do almost everything I want to. It took me 2 years to get back on the field. I still can't run fast and I do have some tingling and loss of feeling and function in my leg.

Do all the exercises and work you can. Even if there is some permanent damage you can making the muscles that work as strong as they can be. Know your limits and keep pushing.

Thanks for sharing and best of luck as you keep recovering! I'm learning that there is no stop recovery phase, it's keep moving and keep getting better every day or you stop getting better and lose the range of movement.

[dumbdumb]

On 3/16/2026 at 9:53 AM, wolfe_man said:

Thanks for sharing and best of luck as you keep recovering! I'm learning that there is no stop recovery phase, it's keep moving and keep getting better every day or you stop getting better and lose the range of movement.

@wolf_man

just a little chart of umpires working mlb games having to leave games for various reasons. and even another topic on this site, UE, about conduct getting worse. some umpires left games because of all the crappola during the game they were getting back in the day.

https://www.retrosheet.org/umpgmchg.htm

and not many remember and articles are hard to find with Greg Bonin getting hit by San Frans Chalie Hayes in 1999 like the umpire in Japan in 1999. see health area of article below. that Charley Lau follow through, if it was one of his follow throughs, leads to those hits in the head/helmet.

Maybe Joe Brinkmans stance way behind the catcher was not so dumbdumb after all.

https://grokipedia.com/page/greg_bonin

 

 

[wolfe_man]

Update: While I am still unable to run, I have returned to umpiring high school baseball in the past few weeks. I have done 11 games behind the plate so far.

I anm hopeful that my nerves regenerate enough to let me run again, but I’m thankful to be up and moving and able to work games again. I didn’t realize how much I needed it!

Thank you to each person who commented or shared. It’s all helpful and appreciated.

[BLWizzRanger]

49 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

Update: While I am still unable to run, I have returned to umpiring high school baseball in the past few weeks. I have done 11 games behind the plate so far.

I anm hopeful that my nerves regenerate enough to let me run again, but I’m thankful to be up and moving and able to work games again. I didn’t realize how much I needed it!

Thank you to each person who commented or shared. It’s all helpful and appreciated.

Great update!  Here to more of your recovery.

I've got to ask, how are you coping meaning what are your goals when you are supposed to move and have you increased them over these 11 games? (as an example, going up 1st base line to see a pulled foot, or trying to get to 3rd on a rotation)

[wolfe_man]

11 hours ago, BLWizzRanger said:

I've got to ask, how are you coping meaning what are your goals when you are supposed to move and have you increased them over these 11 games? (as an example, going up 1st base line to see a pulled foot, or trying to get to 3rd on a rotation)

I'm not sure what is meant by goals, but my goal is to work the game as close to how I've always worked a game. My goal is to perform well enough as PU that folks won't even know I am handicapped unless they saw me drive up and saw the tag hanging from my mirror.

On plays at 1B, I can get out from behind the plate, around the plate and bat, and off the dirt circle - but that's about as far up the line I can get right now before the BR reaches 1st base.  I make sure to stop and be still to get a pulled foot or possible RLI. 

On plays at 3B, if I think there's a chance of any play that way on hits to the outfield, then I start moving immediately if the ball is not my responsibility.  I can get close enough to get a good angle to make the correct call.  Most of my partners are great at saying they'll stay with the BR all the way and have me take both lines all the way.  I still try to move as much as I can to get in position for possible INF at 2B on double plays, on throwbacks from 1st-to-3rd if R2 tries to advance on infield plays at 1B, etc. 

I simply cannot run yet, the best I can do is a normal/fast walk - which is maybe 3mph. If I try to run my left leg won't work in sync with the right and I'll trip over my own feet literally.  So I just walk as fast as I can and it's working so far.   

I've stayed on mostly lower level games so I don't mess up any important games.  But I humbly believe that I can call a game as PU as good as almost anyone else in my area and feel that I can cover the plate responsibilities well enough to do Varsity baseball too. I've had some partners tell me not to feel bad at all about taking Varsity games from anyone, I deserve them on merit. 

I'm well aware of some opinions that if you cannot perform at 100% then you should not work at all and I respect them.  If I ever truly feel that I cannot perform the responsibilities of an umpire well enough to do it justice, then I will humbly exit left and hang them up.  For now, getting back out there and performing again has been a huge help to my mental recovery and I believe is helping me physically also.  

[BLWizzRanger]

I meant no disrespect on your current abilities or situation.  Going from what I am experiencing, and the brotherhood expectations of where we need to be, I found that I could do more and made that my goal to work on.  And you might have gone through the same and changed your personal expectations after doing the 11 plates. 

For example, me getting to the dirt circle is no longer good enough as I have worked to get more distance.  I can't get to the 45' yet but that has become my goal. Some days, that wont be my goal as my fast walk will include the same pain as running (good days and bad days, you know?) But, the adrenaline might kick in mid-game and the pain will subside, thus, gaining more ground. I've got to realize that. 

I know I have been disappointed with myself earlier after games when I know I had the attitude, 'nope, I will get on the line and not even try to get up the line' or even when in C not trying to get distance but only walking to an angle on any plays needing to be made. 

So, yeah, my 'whoa is me' mindset is wearing thin with myself, and I thought, maybe, you went through that as well.  All is good. We are on the field and moving. Those are the first steps.

[wolfe_man]

1 minute ago, BLWizzRanger said:

I meant no disrespect on your current abilities or situation.  Going from what I am experiencing, and the brotherhood expectations of where we need to be, I found that I could do more and made that my goal to work on.  And you might have gone through the same and changed your personal expectations after doing the 11 plates. 

For example, me getting to the dirt circle is no longer good enough as I have worked to get more distance. 

I know I have been disappointed with myself earlier after games when I know I had the attitude, 'nope, I will get on the line and not even try to get up the line' or even when in C not trying to get distance but only walking to an angle on any plays needing to be made. 

So, yeah, my 'whoa is me' mindset is wearing thin with myself, and I thought, maybe, you went through that as well.  All is good. We are on the field and moving. Those are the first steps.

No offense taken.  I know some others have been outspoken about if you cannot perform fully, then get off the field.  I apologize if you felt it was directed towards you as that was not my intention.

I definitely want to do more and be better.   For now, I am giving it all I can physically and it's frustrating to find that I cannot perform like I desire to perform.  I am not getting to the 45-foot line, I did before, but not right now.  I challenge myself to get as far up as I can before the play, but a few steps off the circle is my max under the present conditions.

I sincerely hope, I doubt - but I hope, that the neurosurgeon is right and my nerves and back continue to heal so I can return to 100% and run again.  For now, physically I'm maybe 80-85% and have a ways to go. The strength and stamina is returning slowly, but I still feel weaker and just not there yet.  I'll be honest, there are some days that I'd be truly happy to just walk normal again without pain, but I really want to get back to running if possible.  I'm very thankful to not be in a wheelchair and am able to move under my own power, but not satisfied with it.

I won't be satisfied until I'm back to 100% again and getting to the places I did before... and hopefully just as quickly.  I was entertaining a trip to MO and possibly getting into some lower-level college baseball before my setback.  I'd really like the opportunity to get healthy enough to take that trip!

I didn't realize you had physical issues also.  I wish you the best in your recovery!

[BLWizzRanger]

34 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

I didn't realize you had physical issues also.  I wish you the best in your recovery!

Knees - I plan to get them done in July. But, I am not going to stop moving.  Cut down two trees and cleaned the gutters last night, in fact. Those aren't knee friendly.

Its funny, I, and my doctor, knew I was going to have them done four years ago. So I asked him, when does he think I will need to get it done (this was right after meniscus surgery). He said, 'you will know when it is time.' and boy was he not kidding.  Its time.

 

[wolfe_man]

3 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

But, I am not going to stop moving.  

Wishing you the best!  I know several who have had knees done, some had zero pain even!  

You got the secret already, keep moving.  If we stop moving, we'll die.  Even if it hurts, keep moving and hope in time it will get better. It's been a long year plus for me, but I refuse to quit until I get better.  If you keep that mindset, it will come in time. Stay positive in your mind and keep moving and time seems to go much quicker!