Terry Francona steps away from Cleveland Indians for health reasons; DeMarlo Hale to manage remainder of 2021

Indians manager Terry Francona is stepping away from the club for the remainder of the season to address multiple medical issues, Cleveland’s president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti announced Thursday. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale will manage the team in Francona’s place.

Francona, 61, recently moved into second place on the Indians’ all-time managerial wins list with 723 victories, passing Mike Hargrove (721) and stands just six shy of eclipsing Lou Boudreau (728). He will undergo surgery Monday to replace his left hip at Cleveland Clinic, followed by another procedure to put a rod in his left foot 5-6 weeks later.

Asked if he knows whether or not he will manage the Indians beyond 2021, Francona was not able to give a definitive answer.

“I want to love my job,” Francona said. “I’m not talking about a loss or a win. I’m talking about the challenges that come with the job. I’m just not able right now to physically do what I think how it needs to be done appropriately.”