Terry Francona, former Boston Red Sox manager, plans to return to manage Cleveland Guardians in 2022 despite health issues

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona plans to return to managing the Cleveland Guardians in 2022, he told Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe. Francona stepped away from the dugout in each of the last two seasons due to health issues.

Francona, who turns 63 in April, dealt with gastrointestinal issues in 2020 and a staph infection in his toe in 2021. He managed just 14 games in the pandemic-shortened season last year, then stepped away from the team on July 29 this season. According to Shaughnessy, Francona is now off crutches and feeling good enough to manage in 2022. That decision was made in conjunction with Cleveland’s president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti.

“I told Chris in August, ‘Hey look, the minute you feel you need to move on, you will never once hear a peep out of me,’” Francona told Shaughnessy. “‘I get it. Don’t let our relationship get in the way, because it’s not fair to you.’ He said, ‘As long as you are OK, we want you to come back.’”