Major League Baseball announced some changes to the 2025 schedule due to the Tampa Bay Rays playing their home games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa during the upcoming season due to the damage at Tropicana Field during Hurricane Milton.
“These proactive schedule adjustments were made to optimize the number of games played under the best weather conditions given the Rays’ transition to an outdoor field,” an MLB statement said.
To avoid summer humidity, which can reach levels of 90% or higher in July and August, MLB has moved a three-game series (April 7-9) between the Rays and Los Angeles Angels from Anaheim’s Angel Stadium to Steinbrenner Field . The three-game set that the two clubs were scheduled to play in Tampa in August (August 4-6) will now be played in Anaheim.
Two series involving the Rays and Minnesota Twins will also switch places on the schedule. A three-match set previously scheduled to be played May 26-28 in Minneapolis will now move to Tampa. And the series scheduled for July 4-6 at Steinbrenner Field will now be played at Target Field.
Steinbrenner Field, with a capacity of 11,000, is the spring training field for the New York Yankees and their Class A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons. The Tarpons will play their home games on other fields at the Yankees complex during the Florida State League season.
Tropicana Field suffered damage to the fabric roof panels, which were ripped away when Hurricane Milton made landfall, allowing rain and wind to also damage the stadium’s interior. After assessing the damage, the city of St. Petersburg, Florida determined that repairing the facility would cost approximately $55.7 million and would not be completed until 2026.
However, the St. Petersburg City Council initially voted to approve the funds, only to be reversed hours later.
