Major League Baseball is requiring every team travel with a COVID-19 compliance officer who "ensures players and staff properly follow the league's protocol" according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

MLB is also encouraging players not to leave the hotel while on the road and mandating the use of surgical masks as opposed to cloth masks or face coverings during travel.

The changes to MLB's health and safety protocol come as the Miami Marlins sit in limbo with 16 positive COVID-19 test results among players and an additional two among staff members. The Marlins have not played since last Sunday and all their games through the end of this coming weekend have been postponed.

The Philadelphia Phillies -- Miami's opponent over the weekend -- have also had games postponed in the wake of the Marlins' outbreak. As of Wednesday, all tests from the Phillies have come back negative. The Toronto Blue Jays, who were set to begin a series against the Phillies Friday night, will instead play two games Saturday in order to further ensure accurate negative tests from their soon-to-be opponents.

The league is also opening an investigation into how such a severe outbreak occurred, which Passan reports is focusing on "a wide range of factors, from the team's in-stadium behavior -- mask wearing, social distancing and other protocol-suggested factors -- to the off-field activities of players and staff, according to sources."