Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed Thursday to host a seven-inning double inning starting Saturday, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Because a number of duplicates are expected to be made due to rescheduled games due to current and potential coronavirus outbreaks, as well as weather-related deferrals, shortening duplicates to seven entries was a commitment that was quickly joined. the sources said.
However, there are currently no double games scheduled in the major leagues after Saturday’s Toronto Blue Jays-Philadelphia Phillies twin bill was postponed because two Phillies employees tested positive for COVID-19.
MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark called Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem during the season’s first double title Tuesday and said players could consider shortening the twin bills this year. The union surveyed its members as it considered proposing two games of seven innings for a double title, or nine innings for the first game and seven for the cup. A source confirmed to ESPN that MLB was verifying opinions between owners and general managers.
MLB had already adopted a shortening rule for 2020: each half of each additional inning begins with a runner at second base.
That rule will still apply in double-head games, meaning teams in the eighth inning will automatically start with a runner at second base, sources said.
Seven-inning double runs have been common for years in the minor leagues and college.
Major League Baseball players, owners and general managers had this week addressed the possibility of shortening the doubleheads.
“I personally like nine and nine,” New York Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino said Wednesday. “I don’t want to be sidelined from the game. Once we go to the seven-inning games, the slippery slope there.”
Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said, “If the doubleheads accumulated for any reason, I’d like to have him on a contingency plan.”
“You just speed up what you’re doing, just like we’re doing with the season. So I get it from a convenience perspective, if need be … I’m on to something now. I’m not going to speak ill of any kind of suggestion right now that people believe will help us get through the season, beat the playoffs, and wrap them up. “
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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