MLB Announces Plan to Pay Minor Leaguers Through April 8 Amid COVID-19 Shutdown

Major League Baseball announced a leaguewide initiative to compensate minor league players through April 8 amid the coronavirus pandemic:

Baseball America's Kyle Glaser relayed that eligible minor league players will receive a base allowance of $400 per week through April 8, according to a memo sent by MLB to teams Thursday. Every club has the option to pay more than that base amount.

The minor league season was scheduled to begin on April 9, but it was officially postponed last week:

MLB announced that each of its 30 teams is setting aside $1 million for "ballpark employees who would not have been paid due to the coronavirus crisis causing the postponement of the baseball season until at least mid-May," ESPN's Jeff Passan relayed Tuesday.

There are three known cases of COVID-19 in American baseball, including two unnamed players in the New York Yankees' minor league system who have tested positive. Passan reported the first on Sunday:

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the second on Tuesday:

The Cincinnati Reds then announced Wednesday that one of their Arizona-based employees has tested positive for the coronavirus:

Earlier Thursday, the league rescheduled the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres' series in Mexico and the New York Mets and Miami Marlins' series in Puerto Rico to take place in the home teams' respective cities. Those series were originally planned for April.

Additionally, the Associated Press reported Wednesday that MLB is considering forgoing its annual amateur draft this year in an effort to save money.