Pitchless international walks take effect Thursday (Yahoo Sports)

Major League Baseball and the players' association announced their agreement on pitchless intentional walks, and the change took effect with exhibition games starting Thursday. If a manager signals the plate umpire for an intentional walk, the umpire would tell the batter to take first base. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had hoped for more radical pace-of-game changes, but the union did not agree to raising the bottom of the strike zone, pitch clocks or limits on trips to the mound.