Rays open season at Steinbrenner Field as future in Tampa Bay area remains unclear

Rays play season opener in Tampa on Friday

For the first time, a regular season Tampa Bay Rays game will be played in the city of Tampa when the team takes the field on Friday. They're playing their home games at Steinbrenner Field this year as the franchise faces an uncertain future. FOX 13's Matthew McClellan reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays will take the field at Steinbrenner Field on Friday, marking the start of a new chapter for the franchise as it navigates an uncertain future.

With Tropicana Field undergoing extensive repairs in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the team will play home games at the New York Yankees’ spring training facility for the regular season.

More than 50 installers from five companies, along with 80 Rays staff members, have worked around the clock since the end of spring training to transform the stadium. The team has installed more than 3,000 individual marketing assets – stretching more than a mile if laid end-to-end – to make Steinbrenner Field feel like home.

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Pictured: Steinbrenner Field, transformed into the home of the Rays for the 2025 season.

While the focus is on opening day, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made it clear this week that questions about the team’s long-term home still need answers. Speaking on SiriusXM Radio, Manfred said Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg must develop and share a concrete plan for the franchise’s future.

"I don’t think it’s realistic to play indefinitely in a repaired (Tropicana Field)," Manfred said. "But they’ve got to tell the other clubs, and I think they’ve got to tell their fan base that they have a plan for making it work in Tampa Bay."

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Manfred reiterated MLB’s commitment to keeping the Rays in the market, noting that how the team performs at Steinbrenner Field this season could influence future stadium discussions. He also said he is hopeful the Rays will return to Tropicana Field next year, though that is not guaranteed.

Pictured: Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg.

With their lease in St. Petersburg set to expire after the 2028 season, the Rays face mounting pressure to secure a long-term solution. For now, the team will focus on making the most of its new temporary home.

The first pitch is at 4:10 p.m. against the Colorado Rockies.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Matthew McClellan.

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