Report: Rule changes to slides at 2B expected soon

Major League Baseball is reportedly nearing a decision it hopes will eliminate some potential injuries in the upcoming season.

The league and players union have made progress in talks about changing the rules regarding slides into second base, sources told Buster Olney of ESPN, who notes that the sides have found "a lot of common ground."

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

Sources told Olney they expect a change in time for the start of the season. The rule will reportedly focus on requiring the sliding runner to either touch the base or at least make an effort to do so.

Cries to amend the rule followed Game 2 of the NLDS, in which Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Chase Utley broke the leg of New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada with a hard slide into second base.

"We don't want to have anybody carried off the field," MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre said in November.

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Jung Ho Kang suffered a season-ending injury in September when his leg was taken out by a hard slide.