MLB could be open to DH in NL

Major League Baseball could be more receptive to adopting the designated hitter rule in the National League as early as the 2017 season.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said at the end of the two-day owners meetings on Thursday in Coral Gables, Fla., that there were no serious discussions on the topic. But a drop-off in offensive production the past few seasons and the increasing number of injuries to pitchers have raised some concerns about the future.

The collective batting average in the major leagues the past two years was the lowest since 1972. Several pitchers, including St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright, have been hurt at the plate or on the bases.

The DH rule, meanwhile, has been in play in the American League since 1973.

"Twenty years ago, when you talked to National League owners about the DH, you'd think you were talking some sort of heretical comment," Manfred said. "But we have a newer group. There has been turnover and I think our owners in general have demonstrated a willingness to change the game in ways that we think would be good for the fans, always respecting the history and traditions of the sport."

Such a move would require approval, but the players' union favors DH expansion because it would mean more high-paying jobs in the NL for position players. MLB is in the final year of its Collective Bargaining Agreement and the issue likely will be part of contract discussions when the time comes.

"It hasn't even been talked about," MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre said before leaving the meetings. "There really hasn't been any conversation."

St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said last week that there's more momentum toward the adoption of the DH in the NL. But not everyone appears to be on board.

"We would like to remain real baseball," Philadelphia Phillies chairman Dave Montgomery said.

Manfred said there's a purity to all teams playing by the same rules but acknowledged the two leagues have a difference in identity because of the DH.

"It is a significant issue on the other side of the scale," he said.