# 3 batter minimum and rain delays

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-batter-minimum-and-rain-delays/919625>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** baseball-mlb\
**Created:** [September 2, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-batter-minimum-and-rain-delays/919625 "2020-09-02T19:40:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-batter-minimum-and-rain-delays/919625/1 "2020-09-02T19:40:25Z")

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Is the three batter minimum waived if there is an extensive rain delay because quite often a pitcher does not come back out. What about if the game is actually suspended and picked up at a later date?

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**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-batter-minimum-and-rain-delays/919625/2 "2020-09-03T22:37:41Z")

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I poked around but couldn’t find an answer to your question. Common sense would dictate that rule not apply after a rain delay, but wouldn’t that exception need to be codified? That scenario isn’t mentioned on this site: [Official Baseball Rules: Home](https://www.umpirebible.com/OBR16/home.htm)

Here’s another little tidbit I hadn’t considered, from [mlb.com](http://mlb.com):

> If a pitcher faces one batter to end an inning, he may be removed, but if he is brought back for a second inning, he must still face two more batters for a total of three.

It’s a silly new rule, but whatever. With all of the other weirdness this season, it barely stands out.

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**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-batter-minimum-and-rain-delays/919625/3 "2020-09-03T23:40:25Z")

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Well, the 3 batter rule is meant to be permanent. I think it devalues specialist pitchers too much. I know the purists will want to shoot me, but I’m starting to think that going to all 7-inning games is the way to save the sport.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-batter-minimum-and-rain-delays/919625/4 "2020-09-04T14:52:22Z")

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The umpire is allowed to waive the 3-batter minimum if the pitcher sustains an illness or injury that “incapacitates him from further play as a pitcher”. I’d imagine they’d allow this as such an instance. But I don’t see anything specific in the rules.