Editing Designated hitter (section)

===Minor League Baseball===
The DH is used for all [[Minor League Baseball]] (MiLB) games. Prior to the adoption of the DH by the National League in 2022, only Rookie and Single-A level leagues used the DH rule in all games, while Double-A and Triple-A games, when both teams were National League affiliates the designated hitter was not used. The reason for the difference was that as players get closer to reaching the majors, teams preferred to have the rules mimic those of the major league teams for which the players may soon be playing.<ref>[http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/info/faq.jsp?mc=milb_info General Minor League information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112015517/http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/info/faq.jsp?mc=milb_info |date=November 12, 2011 }} (at "6. Do pitchers hit in the Minor Leagues?"). MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 26, 2009.</ref>

The [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball|Atlantic League]], an [[Independent baseball league|independent minor league]] that became an [[MLB Partner League]] after the 2021 MiLB reorganization, implemented an experimental "double-hook rule" for its 2021 season. Under this rule, once a team removes its starting pitcher it loses the right to use a DH for the rest of the game.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31256639/mlb-atlantic-league-experiment-moving-back-mound-double-hook-dh |title=MLB to have Atlantic League experiment with moving back mound, 'double-hook' DH |first=Jesse |last=Rogers |website=ESPN.com |date=April 14, 2021 |accessdate=April 25, 2021}}</ref> The "double hook" rule was modified for the 2022 Atlantic League season. The change allows a team whose starting pitcher who goes at least five innings to keep its DH.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticleague.com/news/?article_id=1729|title=MLB Announces Experimental Rules for 2022 in ALPB|date=March 15, 2022|access-date=March 23, 2022}}</ref>