Jesse Rogers, ESPN Workers Author
LOS ANGELES — Main League Baseball is hoping to know by Christmas whether or not Tropicana Discipline shall be playable to start the 2025 season after the roof was torn off by Hurricane Milton earlier this month.
Talking earlier than Sport 2 of the World Collection on Saturday, commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned the method to find out whether or not well timed repairs of the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium are possible is ongoing.
“They’re nonetheless within the damage-assessment mode,” Manfred mentioned. “They’re making an attempt to determine how dangerous the injury is that should get achieved and clearly it was not simply the roof.”
Manfred indicated there are a number of choices accessible if Tropicana Discipline is not prepared for Opening Day. They embrace enjoying at a minor league or spring facility, with a supply saying Tampa, Dunedin and Clearwater are among the many doable cities.
The New York Yankees’ Class A crew, the Tampa Tarpons, play in Tampa, however it isn’t identified whether or not that will be the possible house for the Rays. There are a number of different minor league groups within the space as nicely.
Wherever the Rays play, the sector and/or stadium would possible want altering to accommodate two huge league groups.
“It begins with the enjoying floor and the security of the ballpark itself,” MLBPA government director Tony Clark mentioned Friday earlier than Sport 1. “Guaranteeing which you could get the work achieved that you have to get achieved and that the floor is reflective, and the ballpark is reflective, of main league requirements.”
The league is already altering one other minor league park, in Sacramento, to accommodate the Athletics whereas their new stadium is being in-built Las Vegas. The league is putting in a grass floor for safer situations due to the summer season warmth.
As for the Rays, it is also doable the MLB or MiLB schedule might need to be barely altered to accommodate a transfer to a special park, however the league has but to determine a plan of action. That ought to come earlier than the New Yr.
“There was injury internally as nicely, and we can’t know precisely what is going on to occur till they full that course of,” Manfred mentioned.
