How many innings for spring training games?

[WillyM]

I believe I heard that only players expected to be on the major league or AAA roster will be invited to the regular spring training.  Out of an abundance of caution, the clubs will delay the start of spring training for those players ticketed for AA or lower levels.  Those guys will not be allowed to start spring training until after the ML and AAA guys have left the facility.

Normally, during spring training games, the last couple of innings feature appearances by lots of guys that don't figure to play above the AA level in the coming season.  This is especially true on days when there are split-squad games.

If those guys aren't going to be in camp, who is going to take the field in the eighth and ninth innings of spring training games?

Or is MLB figuring on simply limiting spring training games to seven innings, and just hasn't gotten around to telling everybody about it yet?

[WillyM]

Seems my question has been answered.

Until March 13, spring training games may be shortened to five-inning or seven-inning games if agreed upon by both managers.

Maybe six-inning games would be another option, but Bob Nightengale's USA Today article didn't say.

[Can_of_corn]

20 minutes ago, WillyM said:

Seems my question has been answered.

Until March 13, spring training games may be shortened to five-inning or seven-inning games if agreed upon by both managers.

Maybe six-inning games would be another option, but Bob Nightengale's USA Today article didn't say.

That's odd.

[Yardball85]

23 minutes ago, WillyM said:

Seems my question has been answered.

Until March 13, spring training games may be shortened to five-inning or seven-inning games if agreed upon by both managers.

Maybe six-inning games would be another option, but Bob Nightengale's USA Today article didn't say.

Ugh, that's silly.  I am all about nine inning games, especially since ST is about evaluating players.  You need innings to evaluate your players.

[NCRaven]

24 minutes ago, Yardball85 said:

Ugh, that's silly.  I am all about nine inning games, especially since ST is about evaluating players.  You need innings to evaluate your players.

Teams can't bring players over from the minor league camp to finish out the last innings of games anymore since A and AA players won't arrive til later in the spring.  There may be situations where a lack of pitching may cause managers to prefer to end the games early.  Especially before March 13 when pitchers aren't stretched out much.