More rule changes ahead for the Reds, MLB in 2023

The ghost runner is here too stay. That may not be popular among fans of the Cincinnati Reds, but Major League Baseball's Competition Committee unanimously voted on Monday to make the change permanent.

The rule was enacted during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season as a way to accelerate the game. Rather than lasting 13, 14, or sometimes 15 innings, having extra innings begin with a runner already on second base was thought to decrease the number of extra innings played.

Much like the NFL's overtime rules, this will only apply to regular season games and once the playoffs begin, MLB will go back to the old way of doing things. This is one of many rule changes coming in 2023.

What rule changes will affect the Reds in 2023?

Seeing as how the ghost runner has been part of the game since 2020, it's nothing new. However, there will be other changes made during the 2023 season - one of which will limit how managers use position players late in games.

It's been a trend of late for managers to wave the white flag and send a position player out to the mound when his team is barely clinging to life late in game. Last season, the Cincinnati Reds manager sent Max Schrock, Matt Reynolds, and Alejo Lopez in to pitch at varying times while his team was down.

Managers will still have that available to them, but it will be quite restricted. According to MLB.com, a position player may enter to pitch only if the game is in extra innings, a team is trailing by eight runs at any point during the game, or a team is winning by 10 runs in the ninth inning.

These rule changes are in addition to eliminating the defensive shift, the implementation of the pitch clock, and larger bases. It'll be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Reds and every other team adjusts to the new rules during the start of the 2023 season.