Injury During Twins-Mariners Game Resulted in Rare MLB Pitcher At-Bat

Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo took his first at-bat in three years on Sunday.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (pictured batting) during an at-bat in the bottom of the fourth inning of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park. / Screengrab Twitter @PitchingNinja

Baseball fans watching Sunday's game between the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins got to see something that hasn't happened often in MLB lately: A pitcher at-bat.

During the bottom of the second inning, Mariners catcher Mitch Garver was hit by a pitch and forced to exit the game, resulting in Cal Raleigh, who started the contest as Seattle's designated hitter, taking his place behind the plate.

This also meant that the Mariners lost their designated hitter.

According to MLB rules, "If a player serving as the DH is later used on defense, he continues to bat in his same lineup spot. But for the rest of the game, his team cannot use a DH to bat in place of the pitcher."

So, Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning for the first at-bat by a Mariners pitcher in three years.

And Castillo's at-bat did not disappoint, as he watched three juicy fastballs go by for three straight strikes without lifting the bat off of his shoulder.

Luis Castillo proving the Pitchers Are Athletes. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/NfHMWsxwUv

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 30, 2024

For 150 years, pitchers grabbed a piece of lumber and tried their hands at hitting until MLB imposed the universal DH rule in the National League ahead of the 2022 season—the American League has had a universal DH since 1973.

Castillo's at-bat was his first since October of 2021 and just the second at-bat by a pitcher in MLB this season. Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Scott McGough struck out during an at-bat against the New York Yankees in April.