Apr 20, 2026, 07:26 PM ET
CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Craig Counsell thinks a Major League Baseball rule that allows the Los Angeles Dodgers to carry 14 pitchers because of Shohei Ohtani is "bizarre."
Major league teams are allowed to have a maximum of 13 pitchers on their active 26-man roster from Opening Day through Aug. 31. From Sept. 1 through the end of the season, the roster limits increase to 14 pitchers and 28 active players.
But Ohtani is designated as a two-way player, which means he doesn't count as a pitcher. So, the reigning World Series champions have 14 pitchers on their active roster.
Asked about the 13-pitcher limit before Monday's 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Counsell said he has never understood the reasoning for the restriction.
"It's a rule to help offense, I think, more than anything, if you ask me," Counsell said. "And then there's one team that's allowed to carry basically one of both, and that he gets special consideration. Which is probably the most bizarre rule. ... For one team."
The two-way player designation is for players with at least 20 innings pitched in the major leagues and at least 20 big league starts as a position player or designated hitter with at least three plate appearances in each of those games. The player has to reach those numbers in the current or any one of the two most recent seasons.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts, after his club's 12-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, was asked by The Athletic about Counsell's comments.
"The thing is, it certainly benefits us because we have the player. ... We're more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both," Roberts said. "He's an exception because he's an exceptional player. It is what it is."
The designation went into effect for the 2020 season. Ohtani, 31, is the only current player who meets the criteria.
"There's not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player," said Counsell, who played in the majors for 16 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
