CHICAGO -- White Sox manager Tony La Russa is stepping down as manager due to health concerns that kept him out of the dugout for the final five weeks of the season, he announced at a news conference Monday.
La Russa, who will turn 78 on Tuesday, hasn't managed a game since abruptly leaving Guaranteed Rate Field on Aug. 30 after doctors told him he needed to undergo further testing related to a heart issue.
In La Russa's absence, the underachieving White Sox did get an initial boost from acting manager Miguel Cairo, but that was short-lived as the White Sox were swept at home by the Cleveland Guardians in a key September series.