While Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association failed to agree on a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were able to compromise about other rules, as well as health and safety protocols.
On Monday night, the two sides finalized baseball’s health and safety protocols for both spring training and the regular season. They also agreed upon the return of seven-inning doubleheaders as well as placing a runner on second base in extra innings.
Both of these rules were put in place in efforts to decrease the time of games to limit the time spent at ballparks to help curtail potential COVID-19 outbreaks. The seven-inning rule for doubleheaders was helpful in the abbreviated 2020 season to squeeze in games previously postponed due to the coronavirus. The MLB expects to have the same issue this year as well.
While these rules were agreed upon, there has been no word on the universal DH. Though spring training is set to begin next week, the issue is still up in the air. It seems as if the Players Association would like the DH to be included, but since the MLB tried to package it with rules like expanded playoffs, the union has turned it down.
Earlier this month, the union turned down MLB’s offer to delay the season by a month and playing 154 games at full 162-game pay, including the DH and expanded playoffs. The Players Association also did not make a counteroffer before both sides turned their attention to health and safety protocols.
