Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona returned to American Family Field on Saturday, rejoining his full roster after missing the previous game due to what he humorously referred to as “intestinal turmoil.”
But don’t mistake that for being at full health.
“I don’t think I’ve felt 100% since 1988,” Francona joked before the matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. “I feel well enough to be out here. It’s tough missing a game.”
Francona’s stomach troubles weren’t limited to him—first-base coach Collin Cowgill and several players also sat out Friday’s 3-2 loss to Milwaukee, the Reds’ fourth straight defeat. Bench coach Freddie Benavides stepped in as acting manager while Francona remained back at the hotel.
While the team hadn’t released a list of who was sidelined Friday, Francona shared that reserve outfielder Jacob Hurtubise had it worst.
“Everybody’s back,” Francona said. “I think a few guys still feel like they got run over by a truck, kind of how I felt, but we’re managing.”
He was especially glad to be watching live again after Friday’s struggles trying to follow the game remotely. Francona attempted to keep up using a radio broadcast but found the audio badly delayed on mobile apps.
“I ended up listening on my phone because it was the only option,” he said. “I thought I had the MLB package, but it wasn’t working. I did what I could.”
Unfortunately, what he heard wasn’t very encouraging.
The Reds were held hitless through the first 6 2/3 innings before finally snapping a 35-inning scoreless drought with two runs in the eighth. That dry spell marked their longest runless streak since 1946, when they went 37 innings without scoring.
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