A pinch hitter is a substitute batter in baseball who enters the game to bat in place of another player, usually when the manager wants a better chance to reach base or drive in a run. The pinch hitter takes the replaced player's spot in the batting order and then leaves the field if/when the substitution is made, with the original player no longer eligible to bat in that game. Pinch hitters are commonly used to exploit a favorable matchup (for example, a strong hitter facing a favorable pitcher) or to inject offense late in a game when the offense needs a spark.