Baseball might finally, if the coronavirus doesn’t get the last laugh, be back. Amid the deluge of new roster rules, health protocols and scheduling intricacies that are taking shape ahead of the upcoming season, a big change to extra innings is looming.
For 2020, MLB will implement a rule typically reserved for the minor leagues, in which each half-inning after the ninth will begin with a runner automatically placed on second base. With a 60-game slate stacked on a three-week spring training, the league wants to avoid long, drawn-out contests that shorten turnaround time and sap roster depth.