CLEVELAND (AP) Indians manager Terry Francona continues to undergo medical tests for a gastrointestinal issue, and there remains no clear timetable for when he’ll return to the team.
Francona has scheduled appointments with ”a series of doctors” at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday and Wednesday, said team President Chris Antonetti, who is with the team in Cincinnati. Antonetti doesn’t know when Francona will be back and doesn’t believe he will be sidelined for a significant period.
”That’s not our expectation at this point,” Antonetti said shortly after speaking with Francona. ”But as I’ve shared and have been pretty consistent, our first priority will always be Tito’s health and well-being and whatever puts him in the best position to be healthy and feel better that will always take priority. But that’s not our expectation at this point.”
Antonetti said Francona has not been admitted to the hospital. The Indians open a two-game series at home with the Reds on Wednesday.
Francona has been bothered by a stomach issue since spring training opened earlier this year. He was forced to miss a couple games because he wasn’t feeling well.
On Sunday, the 61-year-old left the ballpark and returned to the team’s hotel in Minnesota and he skipped the Indians’ two-game series against the Reds in order to get checked out.
”He’s not happy about it, but he understands it’s the right thing to do,” Antonetti said. ”He wants to feel better and that’s what we all want and for him to get back to doing what he loves, which is managing the team every day and hopefully that can happen in the not-to-distant future.”
The Indians have lost four straight games, three without Francona, going into Tuesday night’s matchup in Cincinnati.
First-base coach Sandy Alomar is filling in for Francona while he’s away.
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