An obscure MLB rule bizarrely prevented Dodgers’ Dave Roberts from bringing in a position player to pitch

I’ll bet a lot that you didn’t know this Major League Baseball rule that was enforced Saturday night.

And that’s totally OK, because neither did an MLB manager: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts.

On Saturday night, the Dodgers were down 9-4 to the New York Mets. In the ninth inning, Roberts decided that he didn’t want to waste a reliever — although, that’s a pretty close game to do so in — so he called on Zach McKinstry to pitch.