Main League Baseball and the MLB Gamers Affiliation collectively introduced a sequence of rule adjustments for the upcoming 2022 season Thursday. There are not any actual surprises, as all of immediately’s adjustments had already reportedly been beneath dialogue. Amongst them is an amended designated hitter rule — already generally known as the “Shohei Ohtani Rule” — that enables a beginning pitcher to stay within the sport because the designated hitter even after he has been faraway from the sport as a pitcher. Equally, a two-way participant will also be lifted from the sport because the designated hitter however stay within the sport as a pitcher (although situations of that determine to be much less frequent).
MLB additionally unveiled some tweaks to the energetic roster limits in an effort to chop down on accidents following a shortened Spring Coaching. Rosters will increase from 26 gamers to twenty-eight gamers from Opening Day (April 7) by way of Could 1. Throughout that point, groups might be permitted to hold 29 gamers on days that doubleheaders are performed. (It’ll be 27 gamers per doubleheader day thereafter.) The usual 13-pitcher restrict per roster is not going to apply from April 7 by way of Could 1 however will resume on Could 2, when rosters revert to 26 gamers.
Whereas the minimal size of keep on the injured record for pitchers and two-way gamers is rising to fifteen days this season, that gained’t go into impact till Could 2, both. From April 7 by way of Could 1, pitchers and two-way gamers could be positioned on the 10-day injured record. Immediately’s launch additionally signifies that elective assignments previous to Could 2 is not going to rely towards the newly carried out most of 5 elective assignments per participant, per season.
Most controversially, the league and the union introduced that the extra-inning rule robotically putting a runner on second base will stay in place “in an effort to protect participant well being and security through the condensed schedule.” Notably, immediately’s announcement specifies that this rule is remaining in place “for the 2022 season” and makes no point out of 2023 and past. After all, it’s definitely attainable the 2 events will talk about its continuation down the road. Automated runners who rating is not going to rely as an earned run for the pitcher; they’ll be handled as a participant who reached on a fielding error (though no error might be credited to the opposing group).
Immediately’s launch additionally specifies that final 12 months’s new rookie eligibility thresholds will stay in place. Per MLB’s press launch, rookie qualification is outlined thusly: “A participant shall be thought-about a rookie until, throughout a earlier season or seasons, he had (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched within the Main Leagues; or (b) collected greater than 45 days on the energetic roster of a Main League Membership or Golf equipment through the Championship Season (excluding time on the Injured Checklist).”
