White Sox Manager Tony La Russa Out Indefinitely Due to Medical Issue

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa is out indefinitely with an unspecified medical condition, the team announced Wednesday:

ESPN's Jesse Rogers initially reported the news.

"We are going to keep him in our thoughts and hopefully everything is fine," bench coach Miguel Cairo, serving as the interim manager, told reporters on Tuesday.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, La Russa saw a cardiologist who recommended he sit out Tuesday's game. Further tests on Wednesday indicated that the White Sox manager should consult with heart specialists, and he reportedly will fly to Phoenix on Wednesday night and see doctors at the Mayo Clinic on Thursday.

That has left his status for the remainder of the 2022 season in question.

La Russa was ruled out of Tuesday's game just one hour before opening pitch, and spoke to both reporters and general manager Rick Hahn before the contest. The White Sox lost the game to the Kansas City Royals, 9-7.

"Believe me, he would love to be there," Cairo told reporters Tuesday. "He wants to be there. But you know, I know he needs to rest, and they're going to find out tomorrow what is going on, and hopefully we know by tomorrow everything."

It's been a disappointing season on the diamond for La Russa's White Sox, as the team has gone just 63-66 and finds itself six games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and 7.5 games out of the final wild-card berth.

The White Sox were one of baseball's best stories in the 2021 season, winning the division with a 93-69 record, though they lost their ALDS matchup with the Houston Astros in four games.