The Orioles suspended baseball activities at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., on Monday as Hurricane Milton battered the state this week. Players and staff are in a safe place.
The facility is used as a staging area for Florida Power & Light and as a sandbag distribution center for Sarasota County, the Orioles said in an emailed statement. The team's facility in Twin Lakes, Florida, will also be used for hurricane relief efforts.
“We are thinking of our neighbors and first responders during this challenging time for our community,” the Orioles said.
The team will eventually share identified plans to support the Sarasota community.
As the state recovers from Hurricane Helene, Milton could become a once-in-a-century storm that will hit Tampa and St. Petersburg directly and potentially turn debris from previous storms into projectiles, according to the Associated Press. The storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday night or early Thursday.
Orioles closer Felix Bautista and other injured players have spent much of the season rehabbing at the Sarasota complex, which has sustained minimal damage from past storms.
Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training centers in mid-February, with the rest of the team arriving next week. The Orioles' Grapefruit League opener is scheduled for Feb. 22 at Ed Smith Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
