MLB insider: Twins strikeout rate is among story lines early

That didn't take long.

Major League Baseball's new slide rule was tested on only the third day of the season when Toronto's Jose Bautista tried a little too hard to keep Tampa Bay's Logan Forsythe from turning a double play with one out in the ninth with the bases loaded Tuesday. Not only did Bautista slide past second base — which is now a no-no — he also reached out and touched Forsythe's legs as he tried to clear the bag to throw to first. One play, two violations.

The rule is supposed to stop dangerous plays, like the one on which Chase Utley broke Ruben Tejada's leg in last year's playoffs. Bautista's slide was not as dangerous, but managers are going to take advantage of the rule, which Rays manager Kevin Cash did when he asked for the play to be reviewed. Bautista was called out, it was the final out of the game, and it kept the tying run from scoring. This won't be the only time the interpretation of this rule will be in the spotlight.

Utley, by the way, apparently hasn't learned. He went out of his way to make contact with Padres catcher Derek Norris while tagging the plate Monday. It might be tough for the league to break old habits.

This development is just one of five story lines to follow as the season gets underway. Here are four others:

Cubs fever

Kyle Schwarber's season-ending left leg injury suffered Thursday will be a setback, but this massively talented roster should be able to handle it. The excitement about this team centers around its core of phenoms — Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell. The Cubs are scary, already talented with plenty of upside.

Tobacco ban

One report estimates 30 percent of players use smokeless tobacco. But they will be forced to alter their habits in some cities this year because of new laws against using the product at sporting venues that issue tickets. New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles have passed measures, and MLB has said any player breaking a law is subject to additional punishment from the league.

Stantonpalooza

Giancarlo Stanton was the only player to hit a ball into the third deck at Target Field during the Home Run Derby in 2014. On Monday, he nearly hit a Justin Verlander pitch into the ocean. Stanton played in only 74 games last season because of a broken left hamate bone. He had hit 27 homers at the time. Stanton is a threat to hit 60 homers this season.

Locally, the K Club

A team with Miguel Sano, Byung Ho Park, Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, Trevor Plouffe and Eddie Rosario in the lineup means a whole lot of strikeouts. Look at what happened at Baltimore, where the Twins struck out 35 times in three games. They struck out 14 more times Friday at Kansas City and entered Saturday on pace for 1,984 for the season, which would destroy Houston's record of 1,535 set in 2013. The Twins prefer to focus on what happens when they make contact, and fans might have to do the same.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

White Sox righthander Mat Latos made a good first impression with his new team by tossing six scoreless innings Thursday in a victory at Oakland. Chicago didn't make a splash when it signed Latos to a $3 million deal, but the veteran could be a boost to the back end of the rotation.

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The wait is on to see when outfielder Michael Brantley, who is recovering from right shoulder surgery, will return to the Indians. He will remain in Cleveland to continue his rehabilitation and will not head to Cleveland's facility in Arizona, as he's made sufficient progress to this point. But there's still no timetable on when he will head out for a minor league rehab assignment.

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Victor Martinez, normally the Tigers' designated hitter, was relegated to pinch-hit duty during their season-opening interleague series at Miami. But he made the most of it, becoming the first player in modern history to open the season with pinch-hit home runs in the first two games. "I'm going to be honest with you, I don't like pinch hitting,'' Martinez said.

• • •

The Royals didn't set a record for most expensive World Series ring, but the ones they distributed last week were not cheap by any means. Their most expensive rings, the ones given to players, coaches and executives, were appraised at $23,700 each. The 2003 Florida Marlins are believed to have the most expensive championship rings, appraised at $40,000.

The 3-2 pitch

Three observations …

• We knew Carlos Correa had power, but 462 feet to center in Yankee Stadium is ridiculous.

• Usually players have to get out of New York to revive careers. Starlin Castro might revive his by GOING there.

• Finally! Toronto has made the switch from a turf infield at Rogers Centre to an all-dirt one.

… and two predictions

• The Twins will recover from their start to go 12-12 in April.

• Robinson Cano's power stroke is back. Look for him to top 30 homers this season.