Monday’s home opener starts at 4:10 p.m. as the Rays take on the Chicago Cubs.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After almost two years, the Tampa Bay Rays are headed back to the newly repaired Tropicana Field for the team’s home opener Monday afternoon.

Months of repairs and tens of millions of dollars in work have prepared the Trop to be gameday ready after Hurricane Milton tore its roof off back in October 2024.

“The facility will be ready for Opening Day, is ready, the city’s work is substantially complete,” Beth Herendeen, Managing Director of City Development Administration for the city of St. Petersburg, said.

Overall, the total cost to restore and prepare the Trop for the 2026 season is projected to be about $57.7 million.

Monday’s home opener starts at 4:10 p.m. as the Rays take on the Chicago Cubs.

Inside the ballpark, the field is complete and crews have worked on new concessions, floors and other new details to bring the Trop back better than ever.

In the spirit of the team’s homecoming to the stadium, the Rays have announced the “First One’s On Us” promotion, where any fan who buys a ticket to a home game at the Trop during the month of April will receive $10 in virtual Burst Bucks per ticket to be used for concessions or merchandise.

Bill Walsh, Chief Business Officer for the Rays, said the reopening is expected to be a touching moment for many people who watched the ballpark sit damaged after the storms.

“I think it’s going to be real emotional for folks,” Walsh said. “The resilience of this community is something that’s really, really special. And I don’t think there’s any better example of that than the way that we have rebuilt Tropicana Field as a community.”


Stream ‘Return to the Trop’ on the 10 Tampa Bay News App

10 Tampa Bay News is streaming our ‘Return to the Trop’ special ahead of the home opener starting at 3 p.m.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to get the 10 Tampa Bay News app on your smart TV:

Go to the app store on your TV.Search for “10 Tampa Bay News.”Select the 10 Tampa Bay News app.Download the app to your device for free.Start watching 10 Tampa Bay News.

Previous 10 Tampa Bay News coverage contributed to this report.