Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, Clayton Kershaw discuss MLB’s pace of game initiatives.

MLB.com

photo courtesy of MLB.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Don Mattingly and Clayton Kershaw chimed in today on MLB’s pace-of-game initiatives, which will be enforced by umpires beginning with the first Cactus League game Wednesday.

Mattingly is of the opinion that hitters, who must keep at least one foot in the box every time they take a pitch, will be able to adapt quickly.

“Every other situation — a ball gets away, a guy throws over, guy steps off the mound, you can step out of the box at that point,” Mattingly said. “I think the biggest thing with pace-of-play is, they’re announcing the inning break at 40. They’re announcing the first hitter with 40 seconds left on the clock. At 25, the walk-up music’s got to be off. At 20, he’s got to be in the box. Those type of things are things our guys are going to have to get used to.

“I think once they get used to this it’s not going to be an issue. It’s like anything else; guys are going to adjust. You throw 100 — keep throwing 100, keep throwing all fastballs, they’re going to get hit. Our guys are going to adjust to these rules.”

So will pitchers have the bigger adjustment to make?

“I think that could be,” Mattingly said. “I see more of the top guys, they get out there, throw a couple, and you see them sitting there waiting there for the umpire, looking back. I don’t think it’s going to be a huge adjustment. Some guys take their time with those pitches. Some guys, it’s boom, boom, boom, ready to go. I think what it will do is get our guys out of the dugout, out on the field, ready to go. Those, I think, are the adjustments that we make.”

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw didn’t sound too bothered by the rules.

“I don’t think it will affect me too much,” he said. “I think it’s more commercial breaks. They’re still going to have their commercials. It’s more the hitters being in the box. We should be able to throw as long as they’re not ready. If everything else is ready we’ll be ready.”

One interesting wrinkle: The pitcher will be fined beginning in May if he doesn’t deliver the first pitch of the inning on time. That includes situations where a position player is late getting to his position.

Outfielder Yasiel Puig has fallen into that category in the past. What if Puig is late and Kershaw receives a fine?

“We’ll work something out,” Kershaw said.

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.