Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander says he will donate his weekly paycheck during the coronavirus shutdown to organizations that are helping with relief efforts.
Verlander and wife Kate Upton made the announcement Saturday in an Instagram post. The couple said it would pick an organization each week and highlight its work.
Verlander, the American League Cy Young Award winner, is among a group of major leaguers getting $4,775 a day for 60 days, a total of $286,500.
Verlander's salary this year is $33 million, which is $177,419 a day for the 186-day season.
The payments were part of a recent agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' union on how to proceed during the stoppage.