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Report: Rays to play Cuban national team on March 22

Evan Habeeb / USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Rays will square off with the Cuban national baseball team on March 22 in Havana, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Major League Baseball has not yet finalized the plans as it's awaiting final approval from the U.S. and Cuban governments for the event.

Tampa was selected to play in the exhibition game on Cuban soil via lottery, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Rays would be the first MLB club to play in Cuba since the Baltimore Orioles made the trip in 1999.

A caravan of MLB stars and representatives from the players' union embarked on a very successful goodwill trip to Havana in December. Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu, Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw, and Nelson Cruz were just some of the players who conducted children's baseball clinics and participated in charity events while on the island in an attempt to improve relations between the two countries.

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