Friday’s Sports in Brief

PRO BASKETBALL

The NBA Board of Governors met again without a consensus opinion emerging on how many teams should be back on the floor for the planned late-July resumption of the pandemic-interrupted season, three people familiar with details of the call said.

The people, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because no details of the call were publicly released, said Commissioner Adam Silver is still collecting information on multiple options ranging from 16 to 30 teams returning to action when the season begins again at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando, Florida.

One person said the idea of bringing back 20 teams — possibly a few more, but not all 30 — continues to resonate as the most likely scenario, as of now.

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) — Major league teams have released hundreds of young players with the minor league season in doubt due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over 200 players were cut and more than 400 have been released over the past month according to transactions posted at MiLB.com.

The start of the minor league season was postponed in March and players were mostly sent home from spring training. While Major League Baseball and the players’ association are negotiating terms to play big league ball this summer, it’s unlikely there will be minor league games.

PHOENIX, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have laid off or furloughed about one-quarter of the team’s employees because of lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Remaining staff will take pay cuts that average less than 15%, with the team’s highest earners losing a bigger percentage of their income. The D-backs will continue to pay their minor league players through at least the end of June. The team’s baseball operations department was largely unaffected. Many of the jobs lost were on the business side, particularly in ticket sales.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s shortened amateur draft will remain at the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, for the first round on June 10.

MLB shortened the selections to five rounds and 160 picks in response to the new coronavirus pandemic, by far the fewest since the draft started in 1965. Before the pandemic, the draft had been scheduled to take place at Omaha, Nebraska, ahead of the now-canceled College World Series.

The first 37 picks will take place on the opening day and the remainder on June 11. The deadline for selected players to sign was pushed back from July 10 to Aug. 1.

SOCCER

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Liverpool might not win the English Premier League at Anfield after police included the leader’s key games among at least five it wants at neutral venues in a bid to prevent fans from gathering outside when the competition resumes.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp hopes authorities will allow them to play at home as planned, with supporters adhering to advice while they are prevented from attending games due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Police originally wanted neutral venues for all 92 remaining games but the plan was opposed by the clubs — particularly those trying to avoid relegation. The league plans to resume on June 17 after a 100-day shutdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic, pending final approval from government, which is trying to prevent a second spike in cases.

MILAN (AP) — The Serie A will resume with four catchup matches that were postponed as Italian sports shut down in the coronavirus outbreak.

The league began formalizing the calendar in a meeting of the 20 clubs the day after sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora gave the league the all-clear to resume on June 20. The Italian Cup, which was stopped at the semifinal stage, will be completed the week before the league restarts.

HOCKEY

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — USA Hockey president Jim Smith is the subject of two investigations surrounding his tenure as the president of Amateur Hockey Association Illinois.

USA Hockey spokesman Dave Fischer confirmed that the organization has hired an independent investigator to look into Smith’s business dealings with AHAI. Fischer also said the US Center for SafeSport is investigating allegations that Smith was aware of reported sexual misconduct by a coach and didn’t take action against him during Smith’s tenure with AHAI.

The Athletic first reported on the two investigations.