Report: MLB Extra-Inning Ghost-Runner Rule Expected to Be Restored amid Talks

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It appears that extra-inning MLB games won’t be facing many adjustments ahead of the 2022 season.

According to Jayson Stark and Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association are discussing keeping the ghost-runner rule in place for the upcoming year.

“As part of their negotiations on health and safety protocols, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are discussing restoring the rule that placed a runner on second to begin extra innings, sources on both sides told The Athletic on Monday,” Stark and Gelb reported.

It reportedly had been expected that the rule was set to expire after last season. While it’s not yet official, signs point to an official announcement coming soon.

“No agreement has been reached,” Stark and Gelb added. “But several players said they expect the rule to be enacted once the protocols are announced in the next 24-48 hours.”

Stark and Gelb also noted that there might be a slight change in which the runner is placed on second base in the 11th or 12th inning rather than at the start of the 10th.

The ghost-runner rule has been implemented in each of the past two seasons, as it was partly brought on because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule is meant to cut down on marathon extra-inning games, which is why the players are in favor of it.

But baseball traditionalists are largely against the rule, and a substantial contingent of fans was hoping to see it eliminated for the upcoming season.

There is already a group of new rules set to be adopted in 2022, including the universal designated hitter and an expansion of the playoffs to 12 teams.