What happens if a baseball game is suspended, and one of the players is traded before it is completed?

Question

In a suspended game, the lineup has to stay the same when the game is resumed, unless substitutions are made. What happens if, late in the game with many substitutions already made, a game is suspended. Before the game is resumed, trades effectively make it impossible to substitute players and one of the active players in the lineup has also been traded. What is the rule in this regard?

Answer 1

Good question. The relevant MLB rule is part of 4.12(c), which states:

"...A player who was not with the club when the game was suspended may be used as a substitute, even if he has taken the place of a player no longer with the club who would not have been eligible because he had been removed from the lineup before the game was suspended."

In other words, any player who is new to the team is considered the same as any other player who has not yet played in the game - he is eligible to be put in as a substitute, even if the player he replaced on the roster had already been pulled from the game. In theory, this allows a team to use more than 25 players (or whatever the roster limit happens to be) during the course of a game.

Answer 2

Jeremy cited the rule but here is the train of thought -- any player who has not appeared in any game is eligible to play in that game. A suspended game is just a continuation of that game just at a later date.

Answer 3

that makes me think of a certain player a few years ago, i'm thinking back in teh early 90's that was traded during the game to the opposing team and actually walked over to his new team, put on a uniform , don't remember if he played though. he might have actually got in the game, just don't recall.

Answer 4

You have to use who you have regardless if hes not there and no position player is able to take his spot you might have to go with a pitcher.It would suck but pitcher are athletes too , and some have played multiple postions in college , and some switch positions like rick ankiel who was a pitcher lost control and is now in the st louis farm league hitting homeruns and playing outfeild.

Answer 5

they have to replace him with a player that was there at the game.