With about a week until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Major League Baseball and the Players Association agreed on some rules for the upcoming season:
There will be seven-inning doubleheaders again. A runner will be placed on second base in extra innings to lower the potential of marathon games. And there won’t be a designated hitter in the National League nor expanded playoffs.
The Cincinnati Reds were a team that was well-equipped to use a designated hitter, but now manager David Bell will have the challenge of finding regular at-bats for outfielders Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Shogo Akiyama, Nick Senzel and potentially Aristides Aquino.