Pitching by position players
For example, on July 22, 1884, manager Frank Bancroft of the Providence Greys wanted to relieve Charlie Sweeney after seven innings because the latter was allegedly drunk.
In 1993, Jose Canseco of the Texas Rangers pitched one inning against the Boston Red Sox, conceding two hits, three walks, and three earned runs before injuring his arm; the resulting Tommy John surgery ended his season.
[18] Cobb pitched the bottom of the eighth inning in an 11–6 win for his Detroit Tigers over the St. Louis Browns.
[31] During a 19-inning game between the Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians in 2016, Toronto used two position player pitchers, Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney.
Goins told the Blue Jays' trainers that he felt something abnormal in his forearm after pitching the 18th inning, so the team had Barney relieve him in the 19th.
"It's unfortunate, but sometimes you have to do it," said Toronto manager John Gibbons about his decision to use two position players instead of starting pitchers in relief, as the Indians had done.
[33] Six position player pitchers have earned a win since 1961: Rocky Colavito in 1968, Brent Mayne in 2000, Wilson Valdez in 2011, Davis in 2012, John Baker in 2014, and Luis Torrens in 2022.
[38][c] Managers have also used the reverse strategy, a pitcher (other than a two-way player) playing at a fielding position, usually in the outfield.
Joe Maddon, who at the time was managing the Cubs, gained attention in 2016 for playing three different pitchers in left field in a 15-inning game at the Cincinnati Reds.
Managers are restricted by MLB rule 5.10(d), a comment to which states, "A pitcher may change to another position only once during the same inning.
"[42] In 2016, Cubs relief pitcher Travis Wood, playing left field in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners, made a difficult catch to rob an extra-base hit from Franklin Gutierrez.
[43] In 2019, pitcher Vince Velasquez of the Philadelphia Phillies threw out a runner at home plate and made a diving catch while playing left field as outfielder Roman Quinn pitched in the last two innings of a 15-inning game against the Chicago White Sox.
