Minor league hitters, be warned: Take too long in the batter’s box, and you could be sent back to the dugout.
Midland RockHounds infielder Jordan Diaz found that out the hard way on Monday when he was issued an automatic strike in a 2-2 count by the home plate umpire, and thus became a strikeout victim without even seeing a pitch.
The whole ordeal was bizarre:
The minor leagues have become a sort of training ground for experimenting with new rules, including one that requires batters to keep a foot in the box at all times during an at-bat.