Longtime Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona missed a good chunk of the shortened 2020 season while dealing with gastrointestinal trouble and blood-clotting issues.
Unfortunately, it seems like health issues are impacting the second-winningest manager in Indians history. It was announced on Thursday that Francona, 62, will miss the remainder of the 2021 campaign.
Zack Meisel of The Athletic notes that it stems from staph infection in his left big toe.
“Francona is expected to undergo toe and hip surgeries. He has worn 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. He missed much of last season because of gastrointestinal trouble and blood-clotting issues, which required a series of three surgeries in four days and a stay in the intensive care unit,” Meisel reported.
This is the latest in a long line of health issues that have plagued the longtime manager. Back in 2017, Terry Francona missed some time after undergoing a cardiac ablation to fix an irregular heartbeat. With Francona out of action for the remainder of the season, bench coach DeMarlo Hale will take over as interim manager.
A former player with the then-Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers from 1981-90, Francona has had a ton of success as a skipper since his retirement.
In stints with the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Indians, he’s posted a 1,752-1,483 record. That includes two World Series titles during his time in Boston.
We wish Francona the best moving forward.