Organizational Structure
Each LDB franchise has three tiers: Majors, the Injured List (IL), and AA.
Majors
The Majors level is a 31-man roster and represents the active players on the team whose performance may affect scoring. It closely resembles an MLB franchise. All 31 players are available for active duty, and are broken down into the following positions:
| Hitters | Pitchers |
|---|---|
| Catcher | Starting Pitchers (Up to 5) |
| First Base | |
| Second Base | |
| Short Stop | |
| Third Base | Relief Pitchers (Up to 6) |
| Left Field | |
| Center Field | |
| Right Field | |
| Designated Hitters (Up to 2) | |
| Bench | |
This structure changes during playoffs. See Playoff Rosters for more information.
Positional Eligibility
Hitters
A player is eligible for an offensive position if (1) that player made 17 appearances in that position during the previous season or (2) the player appeared at that position for 50% of games in April of the current season, or, after April, appeared at that position a total of 12 times during the season. Until a hitter meets one of these thresholds, he may bat as a designated hitter only.
Pitchers
To be eligible as a starting pitcher, a player must have appeared as a starting pitcher in one game during the previous or current season. To be eligible as a relief pitcher, a player must have appeared as a relief pitcher in one game during the previous or current season.
However, if CBS allows a team to start a pitcher in a SP or RP slot who does not have eligibility under the rules above,[1] teams may nevertheless start those pitchers as allowed by CBS if such players are slotted in positions that correspond with their actual MLB role (i.e., SPs must be used as SPs, and RPs must be used as RPs). Any players in this situation started in positions that do not correspond to their actual MLB roles will result in those players’ stats being voided.
Injured List and Suspended List
In addition to its 31-man roster, each team may have up to six players on its injured list (IL). See Internal Transactions for rules related to IL transactions.
Players suspended in MLB will not count against the LDB 31-man roster. Suspended players may be placed in the LDB team's minor league without being subject to waivers. They must return to the active 31-man roster immediately upon conclusion of the MLB suspension.
AA
The AA tier is a roster of unlimited rookie players signed in the AA draft. See Internal Transactions for rules relating to the consequences of promoting a player out of AA.
- ↑ Occurring most often in the event of an MLB debut or if a pitcher has not pitched in the current or previous season.