I keep running into a problem that I hope a veteran or two might know how to solve. In my theme with DH, I have a D-/D- OF who I use as a DH sometimes. When he's not starting though he often naturally pinch-hits later in games (esp. if close). So my problem is that the SIM often has him stay in the OF somewhere after pinch-hitting (and of course the ball seems to find him). This baffles me when I usually have 2 or 3 other OFs on my bench who are much better defensively and just stay on the bench. I've carefully looked over the Player Hierarchies and I don't have this D-/D- OF listed anywhere in there for defensive replacements. I hate to lower the pinch-hitting to less frequently (or even lower him in the pinch hitting ranks) but I just hate how often my defense is impaired after a PH or two. Any thoughts on the SIM logic for when a PH stays in on defense or not? Or ways to improve this? Thanks.

Is your guy listed in the Player Rest hierarchy? (Not the defensive replacement one.)

Yes, I see he is listed third at one of the OF positions (on the "rest" not "replacements"). Is that maybe the culprit?

That's not intuitive that the SIM would revert to a "player rest" list instead of "defensive replacements" when deciding who to place in the field, but I'll make sure to keep him out of the OF positions for "player rest" (and "replacements" too of course). Thank you, contrarian23, for mentioning that.

The defensive replacement hierarchy is, as far as I know, ONLY triggered when your conditions for using defensive replacements are met...In the manager settings.

Okay thank you for mentioning that, contrarian. Appreciate the input!

What are your defensive replacement and double switch settings? I usually don’t have double switch on so this never happens to me. And maybe you have defensive replacements as default in the managers office where they only come in after the 8th inning with a 4+ run lead?

I don't think there's anything you can do about this if you're not in a situation where he'd be eligible for a defensive replacement (short of not letting your outfielders be pinch hit for)

Thanks guys. d_rock, it's usually not a double switch situation actually. The D- player would simply PH and then (unfortunately) replace the OF on defense.

So are you saying that having defensive replacements settings coming in earlier (providing more/looser scenarios where it applies) would maybe also help this situation? The only concern with that to me is that it forces ALL the defensive replacements earlier than ideally. I guess I'd just weigh out which is more important (if I'm understanding right). Thanks.

Also a good point, 06gsp - I hadn't thought of forcing no PH on the OFs. Thanks.

Here's an example from a recent game in a regressive league I'm in

https://www.whatifsports.com/slb/Boxscore.aspx?gid=35228235&pid=1&pbp=0&tf=12.95

My regular first baseman Eddie Murray is pinch run for in the top of the eighth inning by Omar Moreno. In the bottom of the eighth, since Moreno doesn't have a first base fielding rating, he is replaced by Rick Monday, who is at the top of my first base defensive replacement hierarchy.

Then in the top of the 10th inning, Monday is pinch hit for by AAA Chad Butler. Butler has a fielding rating at first base, but is nowhere on the first base player rest or defensive replacement hierarchy. Butler remains in the game in the bottom of the 10th.

It's worth noting my defensive replacement hierarchy for first base is just Monday and Murray, so it's possible if I had another player who was still available listed there, that guy would have replaced Butler for the bottom of the 10th, but my guess is since the game was still tied and it wasn't a situation where automatic defensive replacements would be triggered, that Butler would have stayed in at first base regardless.

Thank you, 06gsp, for the examples and extra thoughts. That's helpful.

By the way, that was a tough loss. I always hate it if I "spend" over 200 pitches and still come out with a loss. It's also a downer in your example when a PR for your #3 hitter comes in only to get caught stealing.... ouch.