Cleveland manager Terry Francona will miss his second straight game when the Guardians face the host Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Francona reportedly experienced lightheadedness shortly before Tuesday night’s game against the Royals. He was transported to a hospital for testing and was held overnight for observation.
According to the Guardians, Francona’s test results were normal, but doctors advised him to rest for a couple days. He will be at the team hotel on Wednesday night.
Bench coach DeMarlo Hale will fill in for the second straight night. Cleveland won 2-1 on Tuesday.
Francona, 64, has a history of medical complications, including blood clot issues and gastrointestinal problems that limited him to just 14 games of the 2020 season. Current first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. served as his replacement.
In 2021, he had hip replacement surgery and surgery on his left big toe due to a staph infection, eventually giving way to Hale for the final 63 games of the season.
Francona also underwent cardiac ablation surgery in midseason in 2017. He had to pull out of managing the American League All-Star team with Cleveland bench coach Brad Mills serving in his place.
Francona has been named AL Manager of the Year (2013, 2016, 2022) three times during 11 seasons with Cleveland.
–Field Level Media