Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona Steps Down From Post Over Health Concerns

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona left the Major League Baseball (MLB) team for the rest of the 2021 season to address concerns about his health.

The Cleveland Indians officially announced Francona's parting from the team on Thursday, July 29. USA Today Sports reported that DeMarlo Hale would fill in Francona's post.

Third base coach Mike Sarbough would take Hale's bench coach role, and coaching assistant Kyle Hudson would take over the third-base coaching box.

According to Terry Francona, what he was dealing with was not only difficult in a physical aspect, but it also affects him mentally.

"I think the coaches knew that it had been weighing on me for a while," Terry Francona said. The Cleveland Indians manager further noted that he desperately wanted to try to manage this year, and "I just got as far as I could."

Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona to Undergo Surgery

Terry Francona informed the coaching staff about what was about to transpire on Thursday. CBS Sports reported that Francona would undergo toe and hip surgeries.

Francona was reported to wear a walking boot all season, following a 10-day stint in January at the Cleveland Clinic to resolve a staph infection in his left big toe.

On Friday, the Cleveland Indians manager will be admitted to a clinic to give him three days to prepare for the surgery. The procedure that Terry Francona would undergo involved replacing the manager's left hip.

Cleveland Indians noted that after five or six weeks of recovery from the hip surgery, Francona will undergo another procedure wherein a rod would be placed in his foot due to the staph infection.

The latter procedure will require him at least 10 weeks to keep all weight off his leg before he wears boot and uses crutches.

Apart from the scheduled surgery for his hips and toes, Francona was known to experience other health issues. At the end of the 2019 season, the manager underwent nearly a dozen procedures.

In August, Francona was reported to be in Cleveland Clinic's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over blood clots. Then a staph infection was also discovered in his foot, requiring him surgery that would remove a part of the bone in his big toe. In 2017, USA Today Sports noted that Francona underwent a heart procedure.

Terry Francona hopes that he would get back in the dugout eventually.

"I've got to get healthy, or I can't do this job. So one step at a time," the Cleveland Indians manager said.

Terry Francona as Manager

Despite his health concerns, Terry Francona served his ninth season with Cleveland Indians and his 21st season overall as a manager at the age of 61.

Recently, he was reported to pass Mike Hargrove for the second-most managerial wins in franchise history. Francona ranked third overall in games managed, while Hargrove and Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau ranked second and first for the category, respectively.

Before being a manager of Cleveland Indians, Terry Francona served the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, giving him an overall managerial record of 1,752-1,483.

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Terry Francona's Health Over the Years - From cleveland.com