Back in 2020, Major League Baseball instituted several temporary rule changes to help the league navigate through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shorted and condensed slate of games. But after a unanimous vote from the MLB’s Joint Competition Committee, it looks like one of those rule changes is set to become permanent this year.
According to ESPN baseball reporter Jesse Rogers, the MLB has voted to permanently instate a rule that puts a runner on second base at the start of each extra inning during regular season games.
“Breaking: MLB’s Joint Competition Committee has voted unanimously to make the extra inning rule permanent for all regular season games moving forward. (2023 and beyond). A runner will be placed at second base at the start of every extra inning. Story coming at ESPN,” Rogers said in a tweet.
It’s definitely a big move for Major League Baseball going forward that will change the sport for better or for worse. And the MLB world had plenty to say about it on Twitter as a result.
The league also announced a far less controversial rule change, allowing position players to pitch only in extra innings, in the ninth inning when a team is leading by 10 or more runs, or anytime for the trailing team when they are down by 8 or more.