White Sox Manager Tony La Russa Away Indefinitely On Medical Leave

CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa will be away from the team indefinitely while he deals with a medical issue with his doctors in Arizona, the team announced on Wednesday.

La Russa missed Tuesday night’s game with the Kansas City Royals. La Russa showed no signs of anything being off during his pre-game meeting with reporters, but the team announced shortly before the game that he would miss the game due to a health issue.

On Wednesday, the team confirmed that the 77-year-old Hall of Fame manager would travel to Arizona for further evaluation with his personal doctors. The team has not indicated what type of issue La Russa is dealing with.

USA Today reported on Wednesday that La Russa had previously seen a cardiologist who recommended that La Russa not manage on Tuesday night. The newspaper also reported that La Russa will see a heart specialist from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix on Thursday.

The Sox said that La Russa had a medical evaluation on Wednesday morning. The team said that La Russa is scheduled to undergo further testing in Arizona in the coming days and added that his “absence from the team will be indefinite.”

Bench coach Miguel Cairo will continue to serve as acting White Sox manager in La Russa’s absence, the team said,

The Sox were expected to contend for an American League championship this season in their second season under La Russa. Instead, the Sox have been plagued by injuries in a season in which they have fallen to three games under .500 and are currently in third place in the American League Central Division.

The Sox have lost eight out of the past 10 games. La Russa, one of baseball’s all-time winningest managers, has taken the brunt of the criticism for the Sox’s struggles and has drawn the ire of Sox fans, many of whom have called for his job.

Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who was behind bringing in La Russa to manage the club after 11 years away from a managerial career, has not commented publicly on La Russa’s performance but has maintained that the Sox have no plans to change managers.