Tony La Russa will not return to manage the Chicago White Sox this season. Saturday afternoon the team announced doctors have directed La Russa to sit out the rest of the 2022 season following additional testing and medical procedures in recent days. La Russa recently confirmed he had a pacemaker inserted earlier this month.
Bench coach Miguel Cairo will continue to serve as acting manager through the end of the season.
La Russa, 77, has not managed the White Sox since Aug. 31. The club has performed better under Cairo (12-9, .571) than La Russa (64-66, .492), though the White Sox have disappointed all year and are likely to miss the postseason. They enter play Saturday eight games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and 6 1/2 games behind a wild-card spot with only 11 games to play.
Given his age and current medical issues, it's fair to wonder whether La Russa will return next season. He was handpicked for the job by White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and the owner is the right guy to have in your corner. That said, Chicago has failed to live up to expectations in two years under La Russa. A managerial change may be in the cards.
La Russa is 164-137 (.545) in his second stint as White Sox manager. He also managed the club from 1979-86 before moving on to the Oakland Athletics (1986-95) and St. Louis Cardinals (1996-2011).