It's 'go' time for Rays -- literally -- as they embark on long road trips

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

TAMPA -- There will be challenges, like moving from hotel room to hotel room and playing in different time zones and being away from home for so long. There will be benefits, like getting away from Florida’s scorching summer heat and daily rain.

More than anything, there will be a lot of road games for the Rays over the next two months.

The Rays’ series opener against the Royals on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium begins a long stretch away from home. After playing 50 of their first 78 games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, they will now play 53 of their remaining 84 games on the road.

That includes 16 of their next 19 leading up to the All-Star break, with their lone home series against the A’s next week. Between now and the end of August, they will only play 17 games at Steinbrenner Field.

It will be different, they acknowledge, but the schedule is what it is. It’s their job to make it work to their advantage.

“I mean, if you want things to suck, they're going to suck. If you're going to be down and think of the negatives, you're only going to see negatives,” veteran second baseman Brandon Lowe said. “So, we're going to understand this is the hand we've been dealt. We can't change anything about that. Let's go and make the best of it.”

Indeed, the Rays knew this would be the case entering the season. The front-loaded home schedule was partly a result of two series against the Twins and Angels being switched to have the Rays play in the best possible weather after being forced outdoors due to the damage Hurricane Milton dealt to Tropicana Field.

Now, having won 22 of their past 31 games, they’ll have to stay hot on the road.

“It is a little different. You don't sleep in your own bed. You don't have your own laundry right there with you,” starter Ryan Pepiot said. “But you get to go to some cool ballparks, go to cool cities, explore and enjoy it and try to make the most of it, from that sense, to where it's like, 'So what we're on the road.'

“It's still baseball. Still the same thing. We start [the game] hitting instead of pitching now, but it's fine. We're just trying to put series win after series win.”

Starter Zack Littell said the travel will only enhance the importance of proper recovery and rest, but he doesn’t think it will affect an adaptable group too much. Right-hander Taj Bradley shared a similar perspective, smiling as he noted one exception.

“I just think finding good places to eat on the road is probably the biggest challenge of all,” Bradley said. “I mean, the whole job is to travel, so I just think that's pretty much it. You're on the road. You have to go. It's not like you choose or not, so just make the best of it.”

Several players pointed out one thing that could work in the Rays’ favor during this stretch: their camaraderie. It’s a tight-knit group, praised by team executives and coaches for staying positive during a slow start and not complaining amid this season’s unusual circumstances at Steinbrenner Field.

That chemistry carries into the clubhouse and follows them on the road.

“No doubt. I mean, it's definitely a challenge in itself,” catcher Danny Jansen said. “When you've got the guys in here that have got each other's backs, like to do things with each other and are just a good group of guys, it makes it easier.”

“When you go on the road, people are hanging out with each other. Everyone's having good conversations,” Lowe added. “You get home at night, it's like, 'Hey, let's go grab a drink at the bar. Let's go get dinner,' or whatnot. That kind of camaraderie is going to come in really big here over this stretch, especially those that don't have their families to travel.”

The travel can be challenging for those with families, as it leads to a lot of time away from loved ones. But many players’ significant others and children are road warriors themselves, creating a culture of their own.

“We’re lucky with the group in here, but we’re also really lucky with the group of wives and families that we have. They’re also super close, and they travel a lot,” reliever Garrett Cleavinger said. “I think a lot of them will make the trips, and we’ll all be together as a whole group.”

Things will even out in September, when the Rays play 14 games at Steinbrenner Field and 12 on the road. By that point, they hope, they’ll look back at this midseason stretch as just another part of a successful season.

“We still play 81 games at home and 81 away. It doesn't matter how they're spread out,” José Caballero said. “I feel like, at the end of the day, it's the same for everyone. Everyone has to play 81 at home, 81 away.”