Cleveland Indians: Terry Francona must not rush back to the dugout

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona must take as much time as he needs to get healthy before returning to manage this team.

The Cleveland Indians are playing some horrible baseball against the San Diego Padres, but there is a story much bigger than the game surrounding the team right now.

Manager Terry Francona continues to be away from the team as doctors at the Cleveland Clinic are trying to find out what has caused him to leave a few games this past month.

Francona is the type of guy who would rather be in the dugout with his team, but the front office must force him to be declared fully healthy before allowing him to return.

The Indians got a steal in Francona before the 2013 season, who has come here and won two AL Manager of the Year awards in just four seasons. He took the Indians to the postseason in both instances.

And with the Indians hoping to make a run at a World Series title in 2017, the team will need a healthy Francona later on in the season. The good news right now is that there have been no announcements of him having any major medical issues.

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But nothing is wrong with getting tested this week, which will allow doctors to know for sure and to be able to give him some tips on how to avoid any further issues.

Continued testing would likely mean Francona would have to miss next week’s All-Star Game, but that extra rest would be a good thing. Staying in Cleveland and taking the next week to rest seems like a better idea than rushing down to Miami to manage the game. Even if he is healthy, some rest wouldn’t hurt.

Given Francona is still talking on the phone with Brad Mills on a daily basis, he still has his influence on his team. Baseball managers can only do so much, as it is up to the players to perform.

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So while Francona may be disappointed to have to miss the All-Star Game, his presence in Miami is not as important as his health.