The Major League Baseball Rule
In Major League Baseball, the designated hitter is a hitter who does not play a position, but instead fills in the batting order for the pitcher. The DH may only be used for the pitcher (and not any other position player), as stated in Rule 6.10. Use of the DH is optional, but must be determined prior to the start of the game. If a team does not begin a game with a DH, the pitcher must bat for the entire game.
The designated hitter may only be replaced at DH by another player not currently in the lineup. If a pinch-hitter bats for or a pinch-runner runs for the DH, that pinch-hitter or pinch-runner becomes the DH.
If the designated hitter is moved to another position during the game, his team forfeits the role of the designated hitter, and the pitcher or another player (the latter possible only in case of a multiple substitution) must bat in the newly opened spot in the batting order. If the designated hitter is moved to pitcher, any subsequent pitcher (or pinch-hitter thereof) must hit when that spot in the batting order comes up again (save for a further multiple substitution, as above). Likewise, if a pinch-hitter bats for some other player (such as, hypothetically, the first baseman) and then remains in the game as the pitcher, the team would forfeit the use of the DH for the remainder of the game, and the player who was serving as the designated hitter would have to assume a field position (in this hypothetical, first base).
Unlike other positions, the DH is "locked" into the batting order. No multiple substitution may be made to alter the batting rotation of the DH. In other words, a double switch involving the DH and a position player is not legal. For example, if the DH is batting fourth and the catcher is batting eighth, the manager cannot replace both players so as to have the new catcher bat fourth and the new DH bat eighth. Once a team loses its DH under any of the scenarios discussed in the previous paragraph, the double switch becomes fully available, and may well be used via necessity, should the former DH be replaced in the lineup.
Read more about this topic: Designated Hitter
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