Padres, Astros To Play Spring Training Games In Mexico City

The Padres and Astros will play two spring training games in Mexico City, the first time MLB has played in the country’s capital since 2004.

The games will be a return to the city for the Astros—who played two games against the Marlins there in 2004—and their general manager Jeff Luhnow, who was born in Mexico City.

The teams will play on March 26-27, MLB announced, a week after World Baseball Classic qualifiers will be played in Mexicali. The two-game series will be the first MLB games at Fray Nano, which is the current home of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico.

“Major League Baseball is thrilled to be back in Mexico City, and we are particularly excited to showcase two of our Clubs that play in such close proximity to Mexico,” MLB chief operating officer Tony Petitti said in a news release. “As we further strengthen the relationship between MLB and Mexico, it is our hope that we can continue to present our game and its bright young stars to the fans of our southern neighbor for years to come.”

The Padres last played in Mexico in exhibition games in 2002 when they played the Diamondbacks in Hermosillo. They’ve also played regular season games against the Mets in Monterrey in 1996 and the 1999 regular season opener against the Rockies.