Spring training schedule set

Braves baseball will return Feb. 23 when the club opens Grapefruit League play against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla. It will be the Braves’ final spring training based at the Disney facility in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report Feb. 13, while play around the league will open Feb. 23 or 24.

The Braves’ first “home” game is Feb. 26 against the Washington Nationals.

The Braves will play their final home game at the Disney facility March 24 against the New York Yankees.

They will conclude spring training against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland on March 25, four days before Open- ing Day.

The organization broke ground on a new spring training site in North Port, Fla., set to open in 2019. The Braves have trained at Disney’s Wide World of Sports since 1998.

West Villages in North Port will contain the new facilities. The Braves insisted they wanted a more centralized site, with their current Orlando-area location resulting in longer travel times.

Their new home will be within an hour of five other teams.

The 2018 spring training exhibition games will begin Feb. 21 when Arizona hosts Arizona State in Scottsdale. The Braves won’t face any unique opponents this spring — just the usual major- league rivals.

March 29 marks the earliest Opening Day in MLB history, a result of a new format set by the Basic Agreement between MLB and the players association. It will also be the 12th season, and first since 2011, to begin on a Thursday.

Every team will open on the same day for the first time since 1968.

The Braves will hold their first opening day at SunTrust Park when the Philadelphia Phillies visit March 29.