Ron Washington Recovers After Heart Surgery
ARLINGTON, Texas – Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington announced that he is recovering from quadruple bypass surgery. This is the first time he has publicly addressed the health issues that have kept him out since the end of June.
Washington made the announcement during his first visit to the Angels since the operation, performed eight weeks ago in California. Although he will not return to manage this season, he hopes to have that opportunity next year.
Washington, 73, the oldest manager in the Major Leagues, was last in the dugout on June 19. The next day, the team reported that Washington was out indefinitely due to health problems, after experiencing difficulty breathing and appearing fatigued at the end of a four-game series against the New York Yankees.
He was cleared by the Yankees’ doctors to fly home with the team and underwent a series of tests after returning to Southern California. The Angels announced on June 27 that he would take a medical leave for the rest of the season. Washington underwent surgery three days later.
Washington, highly regarded, revealed the details of his medical issues before the Angels began a three-game series in Texas, where he still has a residence. He plans to continue on to Houston before skipping the final stop on the road trip in Kansas City. Washington expects to be with the team for the rest of the season after the Angels return home.
Washington is the manager with the most wins for the Rangers, with a record of 664-611 from 2007-14. He led them to their first two World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
After initially returning to the Athletics organization for two seasons, Washington was on the coaching staff of the Atlanta Braves from 2017-23 and was part of their 2021 World Series championship.
With a young roster following Shohei Ohtani’s departure in free agency and with Mike Trout limited to 29 games due to injuries, the Angels had a 63-99 record last year, setting a franchise record for losses in Washington’s first season as their manager. They were 36-38 before Washington left the dugout this season.
Ray Montgomery has served as interim manager, with a record of 25-31.
The Rangers manager, Bruce Bochy, who led them to their first World Series title two seasons ago, is the next oldest manager in Major League Baseball. The four-time World Series champion turned 70 in April.
