Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out the Rays’ ballpark situation following Hurricane Milton, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there has been no thought to allowing the team to explore a relocation.

Florida counties hard hit by Hurricane Milton are returning to a semblance of normalcy with power being restored to most areas, gas stations reopening and students returning to school this week.

As millions of eyes were focused on Florida as residents braced for Hurricane Milton -- one Tampa man and his small sailboat captured the hearts and attention of many on social media.

Communities in Florida still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene are now also grappling with the still-unfolding damage from Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton plowed into Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, bringing misery to a coast still ravaged by Helene, pounding cities with winds of over 100 mph after producing a barrage of tornadoes, but sparing Tampa a direct hit.

Florida communities near Tampa Bay were devastated when Hurricane Helene made landfall two weeks ago about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the north.

The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week.

The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton directly struck Tampa Bay was 1921 when the city was a sleepy backwater.

Milton strengthened rapidly into a Category 5 hurricane on a path toward Florida.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Milton is intensifying and will likely be a major hurricane before it slams into the storm-ravaged Florida coast, most likely on Wednesday.

Hurricane Helene’s storm surge struck Florida fast and hard when it slammed into Gulf Coast communities near St. Petersburg.

The Nashville Predators have traded Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay less than two years after acquiring the veteran defenseman.

The final cost of the Mets’ sorry 2023 season has been totaled: $420 million.

Pitchers Génesis Cabrera of the Toronto Blue Jays and Yohan Ramírez of the New York Mets have been suspended for three games each by Major League Baseball for their actions in separate games and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was banned for one game.

More than 1,200 feet of the bridge was destroyed back in 1980.

A world shipping association says there were at least 35 major bridge collapses worldwide from 1960 to 2015 due to ship or barge collision with a total of more than 340 killed.

Miami’s Luis Arraez joined DJ LeMahieu as the only players with undisputed batting titles in both leagues, winning the National League crown as Yandy Díaz sat out Tampa Bay’s season finale and overtook Corey Seager for the American League championship.

It doesn't take much convincing to see that summer 2023 has been the hottest in our lifetimes.

Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown says all is well between him and team management.

The Cleveland Guardians have traded starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays for first base prospect Kyle Manzardo.

Given what’s taken place in the past, there are two certainties as Las Vegas celebrates with the Cup this summer.

The New York Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner says he’s open to other baseball owners’ consideration of proposing a salary cap for 2027, but only if small-market teams like the Oakland Athletics are subject to a payroll floor, too.

The Vegas Golden Knights will play the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Saturday.

The New York Jets, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins could end long playoff droughts while the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers are well below.

Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida, flooding streets and buildings, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland.

We are fully into Hurricane season, and the first big storm to hit the United States will soon make landfall.

Dry air with mornings in the 60s starting tomorrow

It’s been over a century since a major storm like Hurricane Ian has struck the Tampa Bay area, which blossomed from a few hundred thousand people in 1921 to more than 3 million today.

Hurricane Ian is nearing Cuba on a track to strike Florida as a Category 4 as early as Wednesday.

Nine home teams are underdogs in Week 3.

The Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning shows the value of hitting on top picks in the NHL draft.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed plan to split the season between Florida and Montreal has been rejected by Major League Baseball.

Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, Leonard Fournette ran for two scores and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-22 on Thursday night.

Given its location next to the Gulf of Mexico, one would think that the Tampa Bay region would have an extensive history with hurricanes. On the contrary, that's not the case.

Weather forecasters say a storm that has been lashing Florida over the past day has intensified into a hurricane.

Jameson Taillon tries to extend a streak of dominant starting pitching by the New York Yankees when he opposes Dallas Keuchel and the White Sox in the Bronx.

A mandatory evacuation order near a leaking Florida wastewater reservoir that affected more than 300 homes and additional businesses has been lifted.

A Florida state agency says dam safety experts consider the risk of a possible second breach in a leaking wastewater reservoir to be “unsubstantiated.”.

Florida Gov_ Ron DeSantis says crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond to avoid a “catastrophic flood."

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez signs autographs for fans before a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Dunedin, Fla., in this Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, file photo. The Toronto Blue Jays will play their first two homestands of the season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, because of Canadian government restrictions during the pandemic. The Blue Jays cited the ongoing Canada-U.S. border closure in making the difficult decision." “The alternatives for our season lie with some combination of Dunedin, Buffalo and Toronto," Shapiro said. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo and were 17-9 at Sahlen Field, home of their Buffalo Bisons Triple-A farm team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) celebrates with Devin White (45), Lavonte David (54), Mike Edwards (32) and others after intercepting a pass during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reservedThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the Super Bowl champions. The Bucs defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, on Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. With the win, quarterback Tom Brady collects his seven Super Bowl championships. He threw three touchdowns, including a pair to longtime New England teammate Rob Gronkowski in their first season together with the Buccaneers.

This photo provided by Cadillac shows a scene from Cadillac's 2021 Super Bowl NFL football spot. They aimed to connect to the estimated 100 million viewers who tune in to the Super Bowl broadcast each year. Perhaps the most striking effect: Virtually none of the ads featured people in masks, a public-health priority but also a grim reminder of the ongoing pandemic. AIMING TO ENTERTAINIn an effort to be light, advertisers stuffed -- and sometimes overstuffed — their ads with celebrities. “I like Springsteen and heartwarming ads like this generally, but this one feels too forced given the current political climate,” he said.

— Virus deaths won't be reflected in the 2020 census, a step that will have an impact on where congressional seats get apportioned, experts say. AdON THE HORIZON: Some experts believe rapid tests could be better at at identifying sick people when they are most contagious. Rapid tests might be technically less accurate but they're fast. The Food and Drug Administration said it supports “innovation in testing” but has only approved about a dozen rapid tests. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

HOUSTON – Jim McIngvale, otherwise known to Houstonians as “Mattress Mack,” placed a $3.46 million Super Bowl bet on Tampa Bay and won. According to DraftKings, the owner of Gallery Furniture flew to Colorado where he bet on an app from the Colorado Springs airport. At the current situation, McIngvale’s $3.46 million bet would pay winnings of $2,724,409.45, meaning a total, whopping payout of $6,184,409.45, according to DraftKings. AdMcIngvale has previously betted on sports events, and particularly the Astros. What do you think about “Mattress Mack” and his betting?

HOUSTON – The Houston Texans and Texas Children’s Hospital announced that they have selected four local healthcare workers to attend the Super Bowl LV as their guest in Tampa Bay on Sunday. The healthcare heroes were selected based on their “unwavering commitment to their community throughout the coronavirus pandemic,” according to a release. The four workers, among other selected care workers who’ve been invited by NFL clubs, will participate in several Super Bowl LV activities at Raymond James Stadium. Those chosen to attend Super Bowl LV in celebration of their dedication include Kaitlin Hernandez, a respiratory therapist, Bhumi Patel, a registered nurse, Matthew Rivera, a registered nurse, and Dr. Matthew Pesek, a medical director for the pediatric intensive care unit at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. AdThe invitation will include a roundtrip flight on United Airlines, a two-night hotel accommodation, a Texans travel kit and Super Bowl LV Draft Experience, Gameday Tailgate and a ticket to the game.

(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)For Tom Brady, another trip to the Super Bowl — but this time, in a Tampa Bay uniform. “Whoever would've thought a home Super Bowl for us? It gave New England its third straight trip to the Super Bowl, and Brady's last of nine as a member of the Patriots. He's leading the Buccaneers to only their second Super Bowl; the Bucs won on their first trip, back in 2002. But nobody would mistake Johnson for Brady, who could join Peyton Manning as the only other quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two franchises.

The Buccaneers defeated the Packers 31-26 to advance to the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay (14-5) is the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The prize is much different this year, though, because the Super Bowl will be played in front of a far smaller crowd than usual. The first Super Bowl in 1967 was played in front of 61,946 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Eagles backup Nick Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, a sign of things to come in the Super Bowl against New England.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)While Matt Nagy gets to coach Chicago in the playoffs despite a middling 8-8 record that could help save his job, former Bears coach Lovie Smith can only wonder if the extra team in the postseason could have helped him eight years ago. Smith’s Bears teams from the beginning of last decade are near the top of that list. Chicago lost five of six and missed the postseason as the seventh seed with an 8-8 mark. The tough-luck missing playoff team that season was the Giants, who missed out the year before Eli Manning and Co. won their second Super Bowl under coach Tom Coughlin.

(AP Photo/Mark Tenally)The Latest on Week 16 in the NFL (all times EST):___8 p.m.For the first time since 2014 there will be an NFL playoff team with a losing record. The winner will remain alive in the NFC East playoff race if Washington loses to Carolina. ___6:05 p.m.Washington is well on the way to blowing its first chance to clinch the NFC East. ___6 p.m.Eleven teams in the NFC are still harboring hopes of making a playoff run with Week 16 winding down. 1 seed in the NFC with a win Sunday night against the Titans and a Seattle loss or tie.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 36-10 to become the NFL’s first team to get to 9-0 since the 2015 Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals beat Buffalo 32-30 on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins with 2 seconds left, dropping the Bills record to 7-3. Brees was shaken up on a sack in the second quarter when Kentavius Street landed on him. 1 pick Joe Burrow, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakeem Grant with 58 seconds left in the first quarter. Cole had scored on a franchise-record 91-yard punt return in the second quarter.

One death in Florida was linked to the storm, along with some scattered flooding and forecasters said the tropical storm was on a path offshore of South Carolina that would eventually take it further out to sea. That came amid a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico being carried up by a cold front that had pushed Eta across Florida earlier. Earlier Thursday, Eta was in the Gulf of Mexico when it slogged ashore near Cedar Key, Florida. Before that first brush with Florida, Eta first hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killed at least 120 people in Central America and Mexico, with scores more missing. A 29th named system, Tropical Storm Theta, was centered late Thursday about 440 miles (705 kilometers) south of the Azores and moving east.

Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal. Milwaukee turned down Gyorko and Sogard, a day after declining a $15 million option on 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun. The White Sox declined a $12 million option for Encarnación and a $7 million option for González, who will receive a $500,000. Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal. His contract included a $12 million option for 2021 with a $2 million buyout.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Mookie Betts streaked home with a go-ahead run and later homered for good measure as the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first World Series championship since 1988, taking advantage of a hotly debated Tampa Bay move to beat the Rays 3-1 in Game 6. The Dodgers posted the best record in the majors during this pandemic-shortened season, then rallied in the final game to claim a most elusive crown. The Dodgers pounced quickly, and Betts soon dashed home from third base on Corey Seager’s infield grounder for a 2-1 edge. Manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers lost the World Series in 2017 and ’18 before winning this title at a neutral site, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Rookie sensation Randy Arozarena hit his record 10th homer in the postseason to account for Tampa Bay’s run.

(AP) – Aaron Rodgers threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns and the Green Bay Packers rebounded from their first loss with a 35-20 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Green Bay made it 35-13 when Jamaal Williams scored on a 1-yard run with about four minutes to go. The home crowd, which was limited to 13,000, because of coronavirus restrictions, was filled with Green Bay fans in the team’s first trip to Houston since 2012. The Packers took an early lead when Adams grabbed a 3-yard touchdown reception on the first possession. Watson threw for 309 yards with two touchdowns and former Green Bay receiver Randall Cobb had 95 yards receiving.

It was undoubtedly one of the wildest endings in World Series history. But a finish this wacky has only a few precedents in World Series history. It was the only time a World Series ended with a caught stealing. Because with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bevens was somehow still pitching a no-hitter and holding a 2-1 lead. 2016 WORLD SERIES GAME 7, CHICAGO CUBS AT CLEVELAND INDIANSBefore the Cubs could end their 108-year title drought, they had to wait out a 17-minute rain delay.

The Las Vegas Raiders activated four starting offensive linemen from the COVID-19 list on Saturday after they all tested negative for the coronavirus. Safety Johnathan Abram remains on the COVID-19 list because his last contact with Brown was Tuesday and he will miss this week's game. The NFL moved the Raiders game against the Bucs from prime time to an afternoon slot Sunday in case the game couldn’t be played. But the game is set to be played because the virus didn't spread beyond Brown and cornerback Damon Arnette, who was placed on the COVID-19 list Monday following a positive test. But with four starters now back, the team didn't activate any of the practice squad player for Sunday's game.

The Las Vegas Raiders’ latest batch of COVID-19 tests all came back negative and their game scheduled for Sunday against Tampa Bay is on for now. The Raiders placed two players on the COVID-19 list following positive tests earlier in the week and put five more players on the list because of “high risk” close contacts. The NFL moved the Raiders game against the Buccaneers from prime time to an afternoon slot on Sunday just in case the game couldn’t be played. The Raiders have now had eight players placed on the COVID-19 list since the start of the season, including the seven currently on the list. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was put on the COVID-19 list two weeks ago before being activated on Monday.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The World Series drew a record-low audience of television viewers for the second straight night. Still, Fox won the prime-time evening with its best performance on a Wednesday night since May. The start was delayed by rain for 91 minutes to 10:06 p.m. and the final out was at 1:47 a.m. The Dodgers' seven-game NL Championship Series win over the Atlanta Braves averaged 4,410,000 viewers on Fox and FS1. TBS said its TV Everywhere platforms averaged an audience of 48,000 per minute during its postseason coverage, up 71% from last year.

The NFL has shifted the Las Vegas game against Tampa Bay out of prime time after several Raiders players have been unable to practice this week because of contact tracing from the coronavirus. The game between the Seahawks and Cardinals in Arizona has been moved into the prime-time window. The league says the changes were made out of an “abundance of caution” to make sure a game would be available for Sunday night. The Raiders placed starting right tackle Trent Brown on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Safety Johnathan Abram also has been unable to practice because of contact tracing.

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:___BULLPEN SAVEDThe Dodgers were so good in Game 1 of the World Series, they helped themselves for Game 2. Top relievers Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol should all be fresh for a bullpen game against Tampa Bay after they weren't needed in an 8-3 win Tuesday. Jansen has more blown saves (three) than conversions (two) in two previous World Series and also struggled this fall, but he seemed to have himself righted by the end of the NLCS. Manager Kevin Cash — uncharacteristically slow to pull starter Tyler Glasnow in Game 1 — also has fresh arms in the bullpen. After separating his troubled right shoulder while bumping forearms celebrating his go-ahead homer in NLCS Game 7, the Dodgers slugger touched feet with teammates after going deep in the World Series opener Tuesday.

A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday:SERIES SETIn a most unpredictable season, the teams with the best records in each league are set to meet in the World Series. The Dodgers and Rays will open in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night after each finished memorable League Championship Series matchups this weekend. They also won a Game 7, topping Houston 4-2 in the ALCS and earn the second World Series trip in franchise history. FIRST LOOKKevin Kiermaier, Mike Zunino, Blake Snell and the Rays are expected to work out at Globe Life Field a day before Game 1 of the World Series. BIG QUESTIONThe loaded Braves are in position to contend for the World Series again next year after they were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLCS on Sunday night.

The only task left — winning Game 7 of their AL Championship Series against the Rays. That Red Sox team went on to win the World Series and end the Curse of the Bambino. McCullers started and Morton closed for the Astros in Game 7 of the ’17 World Series against the Dodgers. The Braves haven’t been to the World Series since 1999, the Dodgers haven’t won the title since 1988. MARGOT-GO-GOTampa Bay outfielder Manuel Margot is hoping to take his successful postseason debut all the way to the World Series.

New York Yankees' Gio Urshela (29) and Mike Ford celebrate after the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians 10-9 in Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball series, early Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)CLEVELAND – It took the New York Yankees nearly five hours on the field, carried them from Wednesday to Thursday and September into October to complete the sweep. "They weren’t going to lose.”At 4 hours, 50 minutes — even without two rain delays totaling another 76 minutes — it was draining. New York went 2-8 during a testy season series with top-seeded Tampa Bay, which won the AL East by seven games over the second-place Yankees. RECORD STOREIndians pitchers walked 12, tied for the most in any postseason game.

The Dallas Stars have to fix some things in a hurry, or this Stanley Cup Final could be over quickly. After consecutive games with three-goal periods, Tampa Bay has all of the momentum and a 2-1 series lead. Dallas' top line is without a goal against Tampa Bay. The NHL is playing Stanley Cup Final games on back-to-back nights for the first time since 2009, when Detroit won each of the first two games against Pittsburgh, which eventually won the series in seven games. In its only back-to-back this postseason, Tampa Bay won Games 2 and 3 in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Boston.