Major League Baseball announced rules changes Wednesday for the 2020 season, including a three-batter minimum for relief pitchers and active roster limits increasing from 25 to 26 through Aug. 31.
The three-batter minimum for relievers, which is aimed to speed up games, will be in place for spring training.
Other pitching changes include clubs carrying a maximum of 13 pitchers during the regular season through Aug. 31 and again in the postseason. Teams can have 14 pitchers from Sept. 1 through the end of the regular season when rosters expand to 28 instead of 40.
Also, position players can pitch in a game only after the ninth inning unless their team is losing or winning by more than six runs.
The changes were agreed upon by MLB and the players association in March.
In other rules changes:
_ In an effort to speed up games, managers will be given 20 seconds, instead of 30, to declare if they will challenge a play.
_ Rosters can be expanded to 27 players for doubleheaders, including a 14th pitcher.
_ Pitchers placed on the injured list can be recalled after 15 days instead of 10.
_ Two-way designations will exist for players who have pitched at least 20 innings and started 20 games as a position player or designated hitter with at least three plate appearances in the previous season. They will not count toward the roster limit of pitchers.
