Tampa Bay Rays’ Taj Bradley Shares New Look at Tropicana Field Amid Hurricane Cleanup

Tropicana Field was left in disarray when Hurricane Milton made landfall in October, but the torn-up roof has since been cleared out as the city tries to get the stadium ready for 2026.
The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, was torn off by Hurricane Milton's powerful winds. Satellite imagery from Maxar shows the destruction on Oct. 10, 2024.
The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, was torn off by Hurricane Milton's powerful winds. Satellite imagery from Maxar shows the destruction on Oct. 10, 2024. / Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Tampa Bay Rays have found a temporary home in the three-plus months since Hurricane Milton laid waste to Tropicana Field, but there is a lot of work to be done before the club can return to St. Petersburg in 2026.

Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley was at Tropicana Field on Monday, posting a photo from inside the park on his Instagram story. The remains of the torn-up roof has been removed, leaving the field completely open to the elements.

All of the debris seems to be gone, though, which should simplify the repair process that the City of St. Petersburg has approved funding for. It took jumping through a few political hoops, but it appears there has been tangible progress when it comes to fixing up the 35-year-old park.

Beyond the damage to the roof, the stadium also flooded when Milton made landfall in October.

Bradley, who showed flashes of dominance on the mound in 2024, is under team control through the 2029 season. That means, if everything stays on schedule, he should still be with the team by the time they open their new stadium.

Construction on that new site has taken a back seat to returning Tropicana Field to playable conditions for the time being, but it seems like both projects will eventually be completed.

For the time being, the Rays will be playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field – the New York Yankees' Spring Training facility.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.