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Ron Washington is a baseball lifer, but some recent health concerns will force the Los Angeles Angels manager to take some time away from the game.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian announced plans for Washington to step away indefinitely.
“We all know how important [baseball] is, but certain things are bigger than baseball, and health is obviously first and foremost,” Minasian said in a statement Friday.
Ray Montgomery, the team’s bench coach, will handle managerial duties for the Angels’ game against the Houston Astros Friday night.
Washington, 73, experienced shortness of breath and appeared fatigued toward the end of a four-game series against the New York Yankees. He was cleared by Yankees doctors to fly home with the team Thursday night and underwent a series of medical tests Friday.
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The Angels did not specify what symptoms Washington was experiencing but said the manager addressed the team in the clubhouse along with Minasian Friday. Washington planned to watch the game from the GM’s Angel Stadium suite. Washington was not made available to the media.
“Wash has not felt great the last couple of days,” Minasian said. “We want to make sure he’s 100% before he’s back in the dugout and managing. How long it’s going to take, I don’t know. I don’t expect it to be too long.
“We all know how important this is for all of us, but health is more important than anything, and, me personally, I’m not letting him back in the dugout until I know he’s 100%. OK? I love the guy too much.”
Washington, who managed the Texas Rangers to back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, was hired by Minasian before a 2024 season in which the Angels lost a franchise-record 99 games.
The Angels entered Friday night’s game at 36-38, 6½ games behind the Astros in the AL West. The Angels are 15-6 in one-run games, a major league-best .714 winning percentage, and 5-0 in extra innings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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