With the infield-fly rule in effect, what happens if F2 obstructs the batter's swing?

When the infield-fly rule is in effect, it indicates that a pop-up could have been caught by an infielder, which is done to protect the runners from being put out on a force play when they may advance. If the catcher (F2) obstructs the batter's swing during this scenario, the appropriate ruling is that the batter is awarded first base, while the runners advance based on the force situation.

This ruling ensures that the offense is protected from unfair impediments while also acknowledging the nature of the play. The obstruction occurs within a context where the batter is attempting to hit the ball, and since the infield-fly rule provides a safeguard for the runners, this ruling aligns with protecting both the batter's rights and the runners' opportunities.

The other choices don't accurately reflect the stipulations of the rule regarding obstruction. Declaring the batter out automatically would negate their right due to the obstruction. Sending runners back to their original bases doesn't account for the forced advance that occurs due to the batter's awarding of first base. Finally, stating that R2 is out while declaring the play dead would contradict the intent of awarding the batter first base on obstruction, effectively neutralizing the situation.