CLEVELAND — Indians manager Terry Francona is back in the dugout after another health scare.
Francona has been cleared to manage the Indians during Wednesday’s game against Texas. The 58-year-old Francona has been fitted with a heart monitor, but he said doctors have ruled any serious health issues.
"It’s nice to have your uniform on and be back," he said. "What I love is the day-to-day stuff. This is the most comfortable place in my life, where I am. I miss that when I’m gone."
Francona left Monday’s 15-9 victory over Texas after he began to feel lightheaded and his heart rate increased, the same symptoms he experienced when he was taken to the hospital following a June 13 game.
"For me to leave a game, it’s got to be pretty intense because I don’t like to do that," he said.
Francona was taken from the ballpark to Cleveland Clinic, where he spent several hours undergoing tests. The Indians trailed 9-2 when he was driven to the hospital by a team doctor before rallying for the win.
"When I left things all of a sudden took a turn for the good," he said. "You can take that a few different ways. We couldn’t get it on the TV. We were in the emergency room and you could hear nurses yelling. It was really cool. I had it on my phone and you could hear people out where I couldn’t see reacting. That gave me a huge lift."
Francona reluctantly followed team president Chris Antonetti’s orders to stay home for Tuesday’s game, a 2-1 loss to the Rangers.
"If I can handle watching it on TV, it’s way worse," he said. "Not that you can do anything in the dugout, but at home you’re stuck. You’re watching the guys you live and die with every day, It’s not a good feeling."
Francona was hospitalized two weeks ago after a game at Progressive Field. He was released a few hours later and returned to work the following night. Last August, he missed a game after experiencing chest pains but was back the next day.
Francona said doctors think medications and stress could be contributing reasons for his symptoms.
"It’s happened a few times," he said. "Sometimes they’re more severe than others. A lot of times I’ll take a deep breath and I’ll be OK. There’s been a few times I haven’t been able to."
Bench coach Brad Mills has filled in the last two days. The two are longtime friends and Francona joked doctors hadn’t ruled out an allergic reaction to Mills as the cause of his symptoms.
Francona plans on managing the American League in next month’s All-Star Game in Miami.
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