Adam Wainwright on DH: 'Baseball has to stay doing what it is'
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright said baseball should "keep doing what it is" with regards to the designated hitter rule.
Wainwright will miss the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles while running out a pop-up. The injury sparked debate about whether pitchers should continue to bat in the National League.
The designated hitter was first installed in the American League in 1973.
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Wainwright is a career .198 hitter. He has one career home run and 166 strikeouts in 582 plate appearances since 2005.
Pitcher performance at the plate has declined precipitously in recent years.
Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who injured his thumb while batting and will miss his next start, said he enjoys batting but "wouldn't be opposed" to a universal DH.
Wainwright has finished in the top three in NL Cy Young voting two years in a row and four times since 2009.
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- Alex Putterman
