MLBPA Rejects Pitch Clock, Pace of Play Rules

As Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred pursues ways to improve the pace of play, the MLB Players Association reportedly doesn't agree with his suggested changes.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the union rejected the introduction of a pitch clock and other revised pace of play rules brought forth by Manfred. 

Rosenthal also noted Manfred would be allowed to go around the union to implement his previous plan that included a 20-second pitch clock and fewer visits to the pitcher's mound. Rosenthal added Manfred has not given up making an agreement on the motions. 

ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported in November that some players were wondering open to negotiating a pitch clock with a 22- or 24-second limit instead of the proposed 20 seconds. 

At the Double-A and Triple-A levels, a 20-second pitch clock has been used since the 2015 season. Umpires call an automatic ball if the pitcher isn't set on the mound before the time limit expires. 

In Rosenthal's latest report, other key objections from the players' side are the downtime from breaks between innings, replay reviews and the risk that speeding up the game could result in increased risk of injury. 

Per Scooby Axson of Sports Illustrated, the average time for an MLB game rose nearly five full minutes from three hours and 42 seconds in 2016 to 3:05:11 last season.