Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday the DH rule will not be expanded to the NL in 2019, and while that request by the MLBPA was a long shot to implement this season, a couple of proposed rule changes are still under consideration.
Two changes designed to shorten games are still on the table for 2019, according to the AP. One, a 20-second pitch clock, has been mentioned in the past as a way to shave time from games. The other proposal is a rule that would require a relief pitcher to face at least three batters unless an inning ends.
Manfred, who has made speeding the pace of MLB games a priority in recent seasons, first proposed the pitch clock before last season. MLB recently suggested the three-batter minimum rule to the players union.
Speaking Friday at an owners' meeting, Manfred told the AP he is encouraged by the union's response to the pitch clock and three-batter-minimum proposals.
The commissioner has the power to unilaterally implement those changes if MLB and the union don't come to an agreement.
While the AL adopted the DH rule in 1973, National League teams — and their fans — have long proudly resisted the DH, but its implementation in the senior circuit now seems almost inevitable. Expect the National League DH proposal to come up for talks regarding the next collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires at the end of the 2021 season.