Cincinnati Reds: 3 players most affected if universal DH is eliminated

The Reds roster construction may greatly change if there’s no DH in 2021.

This past season saw a number of rules change across Major League Baseball. A runner began extra innings on second base, doubleheaders became seven-inning affairs and the designated hitter made its way to the National League. Those changes may not be in effect next season, which could have a big impact on the Cincinnati Reds roster.

Per Yahoo! Sports, the universal DH will not be coming back in 2021. The designated hitter became part of the National League scene this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a way to help the ease the workload on pitchers, MLB and the Player’s Association agreed to make the universal DH part of the 2020 landscape.

Substituting a proven hitter for a pitcher was a boon for the Reds this past season. The addition of the universal DH helped declutter the Cincinnati outfield. More times than not, Jesse Winker took up the role of designated hitter last season. That allowed Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama and Nick Senzel, when healthy, to occupy the outfield grass.

Next season seems like no-go for the universal DH, however, despite the objection of some of the baseball purists, it’ll likely be negotiated into the next collective bargaining agreement. But, under the assumption that the National League will be without the designated hitter in 2021, which Cincinnati Reds players are most affected?