Baseball and Rays return to Tropicana Field four weeks early

By MARK DIDTLER
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Baseball came early to Tropicana Field and the Tampa Bay Rays will look to use it as an advantage. Four weeks before the regular season opener against Detroit, Tampa Bay and Minnesota took batting practice as rock music played in preparation for a spring training game Thursday inside the Rays home ballpark. The Rays split their spring training between the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee and Tropicana Field because their own facility on Florida’s Gulf Coast was damaged by Hurricane Ian. Tampa Bay has now shifted operations back to St. Petersburg for the rest of spring training.