(Reuters) – Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker had a stroke last week when he was being released from hospital for an irregular heartbeat but could re-join the club next week in time for the regular season finale and playoffs, the team said on Tuesday.
Baker, 63, was treated in hospital last Wednesday while in Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs and suffered what the team called a “mini-stroke” when being discharged on Friday.
He was treated immediately, which minimized the effects of the stroke, and could be back with the Reds in time to close out the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game series starting Monday, the team said.
“I’m feeling much better, and it’s great being back here in Cincinnati,” Baker, who returned to Cincinnati on Sunday, said in a statement. “I look forward to getting back to the dugout.”
During Baker’s absence, the Reds clinched the National League’s Central division title with a 6-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ian Ransom)