MLB stadium likely won't be ready for 2025 season after hurricane damage

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, is not expected to be ready for Opening Day in 2025 after suffering damage from Hurricane Milton earlier this month.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the stadium suffered “significant damage,” including the demolition of the roof as well as the ceilings and team offices, which are now exposed to the elements. Tropicana Field, which opened in 1990, worked with local law enforcement to block access to the stadium for security reasons.

Now, just five months before the Rays' 2025 home opener on March 27, the team may have to play its home games elsewhere.

“The only thing that seems certain is that the team will not be able to open the 2025 Major League Baseball season at home as planned on March 27,” writes Mark Topkin of the Times.

It remains unclear whether the Rays will need a temporary home for a few months, the entire next MLB season, or longer. The team said it will take the “coming days and weeks” to “assess the true condition of Tropicana Field.”

“Our priority is supporting our community and our employees,” the Rays wrote in an Oct. 10 statement. “We are fortunate and grateful that no one was injured by the damage to our ballpark last night.”

“We ask for your patience at this time and encourage those who are able to donate to organizations in our community that are helping those directly affected by these storms,” the statement continued.

Where the Rays will play in 2025 will be a joint decision between the Rays, MLB and the MLB Players' Union. Possible options include playing at a nearby minor league stadium such as BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, TD Ballpark in Dunedin and Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Another possibility would be the Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, although the stadium in which the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League have played since 2011 would have to be converted back into a baseball field. However, none of these stadiums have a roof and all would need upgrades to host regular-season MLB games, the Times said.

The Rays, MLB and MLBPA could also consider having the team play its home games at another MLB stadium, such as the Miami Marlins' home stadium, LoanDepot Park, or outside of Florida.

Tropicana Field has hosted the Rays since 1998, the franchise's first season in the MLB. The 1.1 million-square-foot ballpark features a Teflon-coated fiberglass roof supported by 180 miles of cables connected by struts, according to MLB. The pitched roof was built to withstand wind speeds of up to 115 mph, well below the 180+ mph recorded during Hurricane Milton, which was one of nine Atlantic hurricanes to ever experience this reached the threshold.