It appears the Tampa Bay Rays are going to have to find a new home for the start of the 2025 season in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Longtime beat reporter Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported Tuesday that "the only thing that seems certain is that the team won't be able to open the 2025 Major League Baseball season at home as planned on March 27."
The hurricane ripped apart Tropicana Field's roof last Wednesday and there are signs of extensive damage in other parts of the stadium.
How long the Rays are out of Tropicana Field is one of several questions facing the team. The Rays are scheduled to open a new stadium in 2028.
The city of St. Petersburg is responsible for repairs at Tropicana Field.
Topkin reports the Rays could be looking at up to 50 sites for home games, including their spring-training home in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Dunedin’s TD Ballpark, spring home of the Toronto Blue Jays, also is one of several Grapefruit League venues listed in the report. Dunedin did host Blue Jays regular-season games for part of 2021 when pandemic restrictions prevented games from being played in Toronto.
But those games were before the summer, when stifling heat and storms would make outdoor games tough for a Florida team.
Topkin says other minor-league ballparks out of state could be in play, including Raleigh, N.C., which has been a rumoured site for an expansion team.
Topkin also reports it is unlikely the Rays could play at Tropicana Field without a roof, as has been suggested by some, because there is no drainage system.
The Rays are scheduled to open the season March 27 against the visiting Colorado Rockies. Tampa Bay's first six games are at home.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning paid tribute to those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton at their home opener on Tuesday. Skaters wore helmet decals with the words "Tampa Bay strong."
The Lightning's scheduled home opener on Saturday was postponed because of Milton.
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