New York Yankees‘ manager Aaron Boone is taking a medical leave effective immediately after undergoing surgery Wednesday to have a pacemaker installed for his heart.
The operation took place at St. Joseph’s Medical Hospital in Tampa, FL, and it went as expected.
Manager Aaron Boone is out of surgery and in the recovery room at St. Joe’s hospital. The procedure went as expected.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 3, 2021
Boone has dealt with heart issues going back to college. He underwent open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve in 2009 while with the Houston Astros. He returned to the field for 10 games that year before he retired.
Recently, he has felt symptoms such as fatigue, light-headedness, and trouble breathing so he went for tests. It was then determined that this course of action was best for his health.
“This situation [managing the Yankees] is secondary,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “Obviously, as we all know, we have these jobs and everyday walks of life, but nothing is more important than your health and your family.”
In his absence, bench coach Carlos Mendoza will fill in as manager. Mendoza is already running major league camp for the Yankees.
Timeline
Boone filled Cashman in about his condition several days ago. The procedure is an outpatient situation where patients can return to normal quickly. Cashman referred to Boone’s absence as a “temporary timeout,” but if the recovery takes longer than 48-72 hours, then the organization is prepared to let him take as long as he needs. Once he is ready to come back, there are other obstacles in his way, specifically the MLB Covid protocols.
Cashman praised Aaron Boone for his transparency, and he was comforted knowing the research he had done and the hands that are taking care of him.
In order to ease the minds of his coaches, he attended a Zoom meeting with the front office from his hospital bed prior to the surgery on Wednesday. He did the same thing for the players in later meeting.
“My takeaway was if he’s really in a good place, then I’m really in a good place because all I care about is him,” Cashman said. “All we care about is him.”
Boone prepared a video presentation from the hospital for the players. His message was to hold down the fort until he gets back. With Mendoza filling in, the mindset will not change, and the team will move forward as normal. The organization is optimistic about the depth assembled for 2021, and Mendoza will keep their sights set on Opening Day.
“We have a really good group of coaches here, and really good personnel, that our goal is to get these guys ready to play the regular season,” Mendoza said
2021 is Mendoza’s thirteenth season as a coach in the Yankees’ organization. He has managerial experience at the MiLB level, and he ascended to bench coach before the 2020 season.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
Players/Coaches Mentioned: Aaron Boone, Carlos Mendoza
