Terry Francona is out of the hospital.
The Guardians manager spent Tuesday night in the hospital after he felt lightheaded before Cleveland’s game against the Royals, but he was released Wednesday after tests all “came back within normal ranges,” according multiple outlets.
Doctors advised Francona, 64, to stay away from the ballpark and rest for a few days, leaving bench coach DeMarlo Hale in charge for the time being.
“He’s doing a whole lot better,” general manager Mike Chernoff said, who flew to Kansas City after Francona’s health scare, per the Associated Press. “He got a ton of tests last night and this morning, and everything checked out normally. So, we’re very happy to hear that.
“He’s now resting at the hotel. He’s chomping at the bit to get back. But, he’s doing OK.
“Also, just a huge thank you to Royals medical staff and the KU hospital team that was helping him. They were just tremendous.”
Francona was sent to the University of Kansas Health System out of “an abundance of caution” when he felt ill before Tuesday’s game, given his extensive medical history.
The veteran manager, who is in his 11th season with Cleveland and his 26th overall as a big league manager, missed large swaths of the 2020 and 2021 seasons with health issues.
Gastrointestinal issues sidelined him for most of the 2020 season and multiple surgeries in 2021 forced him to take leave from the team in the middle of the season.
He also had heart ablation surgery in 2017 to address a fast heartbeat and dizziness.
Chernoff said the manager’s medical history worried the team when they heard the news.
“Of course we all feel that way with what he’s been through,” he said. “The good news is, he was thoughtful about it. He’s feeling something and knew something wasn’t right.
“He made the decision to talk to our trainers about it, make sure he got tested, and we pushed him to do the same thing.
“And all the coaches, who were phenomenal at stepping in like they did, did the same thing. I think you always have to be super cautious given his history. But, again, we’re thankful that everything seems to be OK this time.”
Cleveland rallied to win 2-1 on Tuesday night and crushed the Royals 14-1 on Wednesday in Francona’s absence
The Guardians are 39-40 and moved into first place in the American League Central.