Terry Francona to step down for the remainder of the 2021 season

Terry Francona announced Thursday night that he will be stepping down as manager of the Cleveland Guardians for the remainder of the 2021 season, citing health issues.

According to Mandy Bell, Francona will have hip replacement surgery on Monday. Five or six weeks after that, he’ll undergo another procedure to have a permanent rod put in his foot as a result of a previous staph infection.

His future with the club beyond this season is unclear.

DeMarlo Hale will take over as acting manager, with Mike Sarbaugh serving as the bench coach and Kyle Hudson acting as the third base coach.