The week before Detroit Tigers players start arriving in Lakeland, Major League Baseball today announced changes to Spring Training schedules. The Tigers will play 29 games in Florida, down from the originally scheduled 34 under changes driven by the pandemic, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Most of the Tigers’ games will be among a four-team pod shared with teams based in nearby Hillsborough and Pinellas: the Phillies (eight games), Yankees (seven games) and Toronto Blue Jays (eight games); they also play the Pirates three times, Orioles twice and Rays once.

Fifteen games will be played at home at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. | Home game schedule

Tigers pitchers and catchers report to Tigertown on Wednesday, and the rest of the team is due to arrive on Feb. 21.

The Tigers’ exhibition game with Southeastern University, scheduled for Feb. 26, has been cancelled, The Ledger reported. Instead, the season starts on Feb 28 with a home game against the Phillies.

Pandemic precautions at Tigertown include:

  • Stands seating reduced from more than 8,000 to around 2,000.
  • Tickets sold in pods of two or four. Pods will be spaced six feet apart.
  • Reduced seating in party areas.
  • No fan interaction with players.

Source: Detroit Free Press

SEND CORRECTIONS, questions, feedback or news tips: newstips@lkldnow.com

Loading...

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Barry Friedman

barry@lkldnow.com

Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

Leave a comment

Your Thoughts On This? (Comments are moderated; first and last name are required.) Cancel reply