MLB Imposes Limits On Mound Visits

MLB passes rule limiting mound visits to six per nine-inning game.

Major League Baseball announced there will be rule changes concerning pace of play, with mound visits being limited.

Mound visits are limited to six per team, per nine innings. If a game goes to extra innings, each team is limited to one additional non-pitching change mound visit per inning.

The rule that a pitcher must be removed on a second mound visit in an inning remains in effect.

The MLB also said there will be no pitch clock instituted this year.

For years, MLB has attempted to come up with solutions to speed up the game.

Despite those attempts to speed up the game, the average length of a nine–inning baseball game rose nearly 4 1/2 minutes last season.

It took a record 3 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds to complete a baseball game, up from 3 hours and 42 seconds in 2016.

The players union had already rejected several pace of play proposals, including installing a 20-second pitch clock and raising the bottom of strike zone to the top of the kneecap.