The Orioles suspended baseball activity at the Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday as Hurricane Milton makes for the state this week. Players and staff are in safe locations.
The facility is being used as a staging site for Florida Power & Light and as a sandbag distribution center for Sarasota County, the Orioles said in an email statement. Ed Smith Stadium previously has been used as a sandbag distribution site during major storms such as Tropical Storm Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
“We are thinking about our neighbors and first responders during this challenging time for our community,” the Orioles said.
The team will eventually share plans for supporting the Sarasota community as they are determined.
As the state recovers from Hurricane Helene, Milton is potentially a once-in-a-century storm, set to directly hit Tampa and St. Petersburg and possibly turning debris from the previous storm into projectiles, according to the Associated Press. After dropping back to a Category 4 early Wednesday, the storm is predicted to make landfall Wednesday night or early Thursday.
Orioles closer Félix Bautista and other injured players spent most of the season rehabilitating at the Sarasota complex, which has received minimal damage from past storms.
Pitchers and catchers will report to the spring training complex in mid-February with the rest of the team arriving the following week. The Orioles’ Grapefruit League opener is scheduled for Feb. 22 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium.
