Tropicana Field has sustained serious damage from Hurricane Milton and is reportedly not expected to be ready for the Tampa Bay Rays’ season opener in March, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The hurricane tore away parts of the dome’s roof, but the Rays have not made any public comments since their initial announcement following the storm’s impact on the Tampa-St. Petersburg region.

Assessing the damage has been challenging due to safety concerns. The Tampa Bay Times also notes “signs of significant damage throughout the stadium,” including team offices that have been exposed to the weather.

With less than six months until their planned home opener against the Colorado Rockies on March 27, the Rays may need to secure a temporary venue to kick off the 2025 season.

Possible alternative venues include Steinbrenner Field in Tampa (spring training location for the Yankees), the baseball field at Disney World in Orlando, and Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, roughly 80 miles south of Tropicana Field, where the Rays hold their spring training and single-A games.

Each of these facilities would need modifications in the upcoming months to be suitable for regular season MLB games.

So far, the Major League Baseball Players Association has not been involved in discussions about the situation.

After years of advocating for a new stadium, the Rays plan to open a new facility in St. Petersburg by 2028, complicating the decision to invest in extensive repairs to Tropicana Field.

Tropicana Field, which opened in 1990 as the Florida Suncoast Dome, was known as the ThunderDome from 1993 to 1996 when it hosted games for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. It has been the home field for the Rays since the team’s formation in 1998.

“The funding for Tropicana Field has some complexities, but there is insurance coverage in place,” city administrator Rob Gerdes explained to the Tampa Bay Times. “Our primary focus will be on property insurance to assist with the repairs.”