What is the rule for the use of the words "that" and "which"?
The player ______ pinch hit for the pitcher struck out. (that, which)
I don't think either choice is correct. Since player is a person, "who" is the best choice.
The player WHO pinch hit for the pitcher struck out.
The rule for the use of the words "that" and "which" relates to the distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.
A restrictive clause provides essential information that is necessary for the meaning of the sentence. It is not set off by commas.
On the other hand, a non-restrictive clause provides additional, non-essential information and is set off by commas.
In the given sentence, "The player ______ pinch hit for the pitcher struck out," we need to determine whether the missing pronoun should be "that" or "which."
If the player who pinch hit for the pitcher is specified and we need that specific information to understand the sentence, we should use "that" because it introduces a restrictive clause.
If the player who pinch hit for the pitcher is not necessary for understanding the sentence and is just providing additional information, we should use "which" to introduce a non-restrictive clause. In this case, the clause should be offset by commas.
Since we don't have any additional context and cannot determine if the information about the player is essential or non-essential, we cannot definitively answer the question.