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Rays stuck on plane several hours as departure from Cuba delayed

The Tampa Bay Rays arrived in Havana on Monday on their Eastern Air Lines charter with much pomp and circumstance ahead of their landmark game against the Cuba national team.

Their departure was far less historic: more than six hours stuck on the tarmac, with their return delayed until 5:30 today.

“A long night,” tweeted third baseman Evan Longoria.

“Quote of the day: ‘Went from #RaysInCuba to #RaysStuckInCuba,’ ” tweeted pitcher Chris Archer.

An official reason for the delay was not available. There was a report of possible mechanical problems.

The terminal that handles charter traffic at Jose Marti International Airport is small and struggles to carry typical traffic, according to Bill Hauf, president of Island Travel & Tours, which offers flights to Cuba.