Happy Friday, Athletics Nation! I hope you ain’t afraid of no ghosts.
On Thursday, MLB and the MLBPA officially announced rule changes that will be in effect for the 2022 season. The changes include amendments to the universal DH rule, increased roster limits to prevent injuries during the compressed regular season, and an extension of the ghost runner rule to prevent overly long extra-inning games.
Beginning in 2022, National League lineups will have a designated hitter, which the American League adopted in 1973. The league and players also agreed upon what has been nicknamed The Ohtani Rule, which specifies that starting pitchers who bat for themselves are treated as two separate people, so they can be substituted on the mound or in the batting order but remain in the game in either capacity.