Yankees-Rays Series Reportedly to Be Played at Citi Field Due to Hurricane Irma

Next week's three-game series between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays is reportedly being moved by MLB from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida to Citi Field in New York due to the potential impact of Hurricane Irma. 

Joel Sherman‏ of the New York Post first reported the venue change to the home of the New York Mets.

The Weather Channel reported Hurricane Irma, which is currently a Category 4 storm, is expected to impact Florida over the weekend and into next week. It's projected to bring heavy rain, extreme winds and "life-threatening water-level rises" to the state.

"Depending on the exact track of Irma, locations in the hurricane warning in southern Florida could see devastating to catastrophic impacts, including structural damage and widespread power and communication outages from high winds," the report noted. "The National Weather Service said that areas in the hurricane warning could be uninhabitable for weeks or months."

The NFL announced Tuesday it decided to postpone Sunday's scheduled game between the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers until November due to the hurricane.

On a less serious note, it's an important series for both the Yankees and Rays as the American League East rivals battle for playoff berths. The Yanks own the top wild-card spot in the AL, while Tampa is 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the second WC bid.

After the New York series, the Rays are scheduled for five more home games before their next road trip, with three against the Boston Red Sox next weekend and then two with the Chicago Cubs. It's unclear whether those contests will be played at Tropicana Field.