Pace of play better, but MLB fines will hit dawdlers

The early returns from Major League Baseball's attempt to speed up games have been favorable, and the time of Twins games are vastly improved.

Through the first week of games, the average time of major league games dropped eight minutes, from 3 hours, 2 minutes to 2:54. The league wants batters to keep one foot in the batter's box, innings to start on time and replay challenges to be made from the dugout.

The Twins on Wednesday played the Royals in a game that lasted 2:25. That made their average time of game this season 2:48, third-fastest in the league. Last year, the Twins averaged 3:07, 17th in the league. That's an improvement of 19 minutes, and Twins General Manager Terry Ryan noted the difference.

"All of us who watch a lot of baseball games feel the crispness and the rhythm to a game more than we did recently," Ryan said. "Last year, for instance, I would have expected [Wednesday's] game to last three hours, but [the umpires] get them on the field and they get them rolling. And there's a good flow to a baseball game. We saw it in spring training and we're seeing it here."

MLB has sent warning letters to players because of slow play. Starting May 1, those warnings turn into fines. Ryan acknowledged the Twins have received multiple warning letters.

"Too many," Ryan said. "And we're one of the faster clubs. We really graded out well in spring training. We were one of the most efficient teams.

"We're going to have to realize that, like every other club, we are going to start getting nailed."

One day after hitting a home run to help the Twins beat Kansas City, Oswaldo Arcia was on the bench.

The Royals were starting lefthander Jason Vargas, so Twins manager Paul Molitor decided to keep Arcia out of the lineup. Molitor wants Arcia to face righthanders and a selected few lefthanders until he hits well enough to face all lefthanders.

"I'm going to try to get him in there from time to time [against lefties]," Molitor said. "I would like to see his at-bats pick up in terms of consistency, and the best way to do that right now is against righthanders."

When Arcia debuted in 2013, he actually batted .254 against lefthanders and .249 against righthanders. But he dipped to .198 against lefthanders last season and is 1-for-8 against them so far in 2015.

"We can protect him some," Ryan said. "And [Thursday] is a day to give him a break.' "

Josmil Pinto was hit in the head three times during a spring training game by the bat of Baltimore's Adam Jones and wound up with a concussion. Suzuki was not upset with Cain, who didn't apologize.

"That's the second time he's hit me and didn't apologize," Suzuki said. "No big deal. It's part of the game. He's locked in and ready to play. All his teammates asked me if I was OK."