TAMPA – In the months since Hurricane Milton ravaged Florida’s west coast, Yankees reliever Ryan Yarbrough has been left in disbelief each time he’s driven past Tropicana Field.
Seeing the Rays’ devastated home – which had its domed roof ripped to shreds in the October storm – conjures up core memories for the lefty. Raised in Winter Haven, Florida, a little more than an hour away, Yarbrough often attended The Trop as a kid. Then he began his big league career with the Rays, pitching for them from 2018-2022.
As a member of the Blue Jays, he appeared in Tropicana Field’s last game before the destruction on Sept. 22, 2024. That it’s currently unplayable is still hard to believe.
“It was crazy because I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be a place of refuge during the storm,” Yarbrough said. “So the fact that it was that hard of an impact was crazy.”
Yarbrough, who still lives near The Trop with his wife, Nicole, noted that Hurricane Helene slammed the area shortly before Milton. While they and their neighbors were “pretty lucky” to avoid serious damage, others weren’t.
“With the storm two weeks earlier already hitting, you already saw a bunch of debris and everything on the side of the road from people’s houses being torn apart and flooded,” Yarbrough recalled. “So it was having basically a double impact in how many lives were affected. It was really hard to see, and then you see The Trop itself with no roof and it’s just tattered.”
With The Trop in no condition for major league games, the Yankees leased their spring training complex, George M. Steinbrenner Field, to the division rival Rays this season. With the ballpark redecorated for its temporary tenants, the Bombers — the designated road team in their own building — and Rays played one another there for the first time on Thursday to open a four-game series.
Yarbrough made an early entrance from the bullpen in the Yankees’ 6-3 win, allowing two earned runs over two innings.
After spending most of spring training with Toronto, Yarbrough signed with the Yankees at the end of camp. He didn’t get to see much of the recently renovated GMS as a home player, so he knows this series has been weirder for some of his teammates than it has been for him.
Still, he said “it’s going to be a little strange” prior to the trip. For Yarbrough, that has just as much to do with Rays logos replacing Yankees ones as it does with the last few games not taking place at The Trop.
While Tropicana hasn’t always had the best rep among players, Yarbrough enjoyed pitching there. And with so many cherished moments attached to the stadium, he hopes to see it return better than ever.
“It was just one of those places where I kind of grew up going to games and everything,” Yarbrough said. “So it always had a really cool place in my heart.”
Rice Recovering
Aaron Boone said Sunday that Ben Rice is doing “quite a bit better” after a hit-by-pitch bruised his left elbow in Saturday’s game. However, Rice – out of Sunday’s lineup – was still stiff, sore and swollen.
Rice also said he was feeling better, but Boone said he’d likely stay away from the designated hitter in the Yankees’ series finale against the Rays.
Beeter Begins Rehab
Clayton Beeter (shoulder impingement) began a rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa on Sunday. The young right-hander was looked at as a possible contributor to the Yankees’ bullpen over the offseason; that hasn’t changed after Beeter had to slow-play his spring training.
“Reports have been good with how he’s throwing the ball,” Boone said. “Velocity’s in a good spot. He could definitely be a guy that could play a big role for us this year.”
Nothing New On Stanton
Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows) joined the Yankees for their trip to Tampa, but Boone didn’t have any info on what the designated hitter has been up to the last few days.
However, Boone did say that Stanton will travel to Cleveland with the Yankees instead of staying back at the team’s player development complex, which is across the street from Steinbrenner Field.
