Reminder of 2021 Spring Training on-field protocols

2021 Spring Training presented by Camping World will officially begin on Sunday, February 28th, and Cactus and Grapefruit League games will feature shortened games and relaxed rules for periods of the Spring schedule, per the 2021 Operations Manual.

Spring Training games through Saturday, March 13th may be shortened to five-inning games or seven-inning games upon mutual agreement of both managers. Games that occur from Sunday, March 14th until the end of Spring Training on Tuesday, March 30th may be shortened to seven-inning games. Clubs wishing to modify its scheduled game length must notify the Commissioner’s Office before 5:00 p.m. (ET) on the day prior to the game. All Spring Training contests, regardless of length, may end in a tie after the scheduled length of the game has been played. Clubs will further communicate to fans and broadcast partners any changes made to game lengths throughout Spring Training.

For Spring Training games through Saturday, March 13th, Official Baseball Rule 5.09(e) will be relaxed, allowing defensive managers to end an inning prior to three outs following any completed plate appearance, provided the pitcher has thrown at least 20 pitches. Additionally, starting with Spring Training games on Sunday, March 14th and continuing through the end of the 2021 regular season, Official Baseball Rule 5.10 (Three Batter Minimum) will be enforced. Finally, throughout Spring Training, pitchers who are removed during any game may re-enter at a later point during that same game.

The 2021 regular season will begin with all 30 Clubs scheduled to play on Opening Day on Thursday, April 1st, marking the fourth consecutive season in which all 30 Clubs are scheduled to play on traditional Opening Day. It could also become the first season since 1968 in which every team across the Majors plays their first game of the season on the same day.