The biggest news for the area after Major League Baseball teams announced their spring training schedules is the Tampa Bay Rays will return to Port Charlotte for spring training in 2024.
Displaced last spring because of damage to Charlotte Sports Park by Hurricane Ian, the Rays trained at Disney Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista and played Grapefruit League games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, their regular season home.
The Rays will play 13 home games in Port Charlotte this spring, beginning with their Grapefruit League opener Feb. 24 against the Atlanta Braves.