Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen Takes Leave of Absence; Wife Undergoing Cancer Treatment

Arizona Diamondbacks executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen has taken a leave of absence as his wife, Nicole, undergoes treatment for glioblastoma.

"First off, what I want to say, is that Nicole is doing OK," Hazen said Friday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

"She's grinding along. But being realistic about the journey we're on right now, knowing what my job demands, and knowing the most important thing to me, this is demanding a percentage of my time that's starting to creep into the ability for me to do (my job) here physically."

The Diamondbacks general manager added that he "had to be honest about where I needed to be physically more often than not."

Both Hazen and Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall said there is no timetable for the GM's return. 

Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye will handle day-to-day operations, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Per the Mayo Clinic, glioblastoma is an "aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord."

Nicole Hazen was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July 2020. She and Mike Hazen have four sons: Charlie, John, Teddy and Sam.

Hazen has served in his current role since October 2016. He worked for Cleveland (2001-2005) and the Boston Red Sox (2006-2016) before arriving in Arizona.