On May 12 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds had a one-run lead and the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning when relief pitcher Lucas Sims was due up in the lineup.
Since the Reds had already used all four position players on their bench, starting pitcher Wade Miley pinch-hit for Sims and popped out to shortstop.
After the Reds promoted outfielder Mark Payton from Triple-A and optioned reliever Cionel Pérez to the minors on Tuesday, Cincinnati is less likely to be in a similar situation.
For most of the season, the Reds have had an unbalanced roster with 14 pitchers (nine relievers) and 12 position players.