Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta is still working his way back from a right elbow flexor strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list in early April.
On Thursday, Pivetta made a rehab start for Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, throwing over three innings and allowing four runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five.
The 31-year-old, who has been known for his durability, got to see the automatic ball-strike system in the minors for the first time, and he was not pleased.
"I hate it," Pivetta said (via. Chris Henrique). It's terrible. Hopefully, it never comes to baseball."
While many believe that getting the calls right is reason enough to take the decisions out of the umpires' hands, it also takes away some of the feel of the game. If a pitcher clips one hair of the strike zone, they'll get the call, where it will probably feel like a ball to the viewers and the batter.
Pitchers will also no longer have the benefit of umpires with larger zones, which is probably why Pivetta isn't in favor of it, especially if he's walking four guys in just five innings of work.
Still, like the pitch clock, it feels like the ABS system will be in the MLB at some point, so both pitchers and hitters will have to get used to it.
