MLB’s Blue Jays playing in Florida suburbs
DUNEDIN, Fla. (BVM) — When COVID-19 shook up the sports world, some professional teams were left without homes. The NBA’s Toronto Raptors were no longer allowed to play at Scotiabank Arena because Canada had put a travel ban on the United States. They ended up finding their temporary home in Tampa.
The same goes for the Toronto Blue Jays having to stay away from the Rogers Centre for the time being. But they’ve also found a temporary home in Florida close to Tampa, in Dunedin at their Single-A affiliate stadium, TD Ballpark.
The MLB club has three homestands slated for TD Ballpark, with their first one starting tonight, April 8. They’ll play host to the Los Angeles Angels for four games and then to the New York Yankees for three more.
At the end of April and the beginning of May, the team will head back to Dunedin for a couple more series. From April 27 to May 2, the Blue Jays will welcome the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves.
Now, the organization just announced that from May 14 to May 24, Dunedin will again serve as its makeshift home stadium. In that 10-day stretch, the Blue Jays will host the Philadelphia Phillies, the Boston Red Sox and the nearby Tampa Bay Rays.
Beyond these dates, the Blue Jays are without a place to play. They have been looking into Buffalo, N.Y. as another potential spot, but want to return to Canadian soil as soon as possible. They have been actively working on plans to return there safely.
In the meantime, the MLB will be able to move into the suburban areas of Florida such as Dunedin to allow fans a more hands-on, unique experience. The Dunedin Blue Jays will have to play their home games at other local minor league ballparks.
