Yankees manager Aaron Boone underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to receive a pacemaker for a heart condition, and the Yanks’ crosstown rivals are sending their best wishes.
Mets manager Luis Rojas spoke to reporters after Wednesday’s spring training game, and before the Zoom session concluded, he made sure to offer his support to Boone, who previously underwent open-heart surgery in 2009, ending his playing career.
“I do want to close up with something,” Rojas said, unprompted. “I heard about Aaron Boone by the way, guys, and I wanted to share with you guys my respect for Aaron, first of all,” Rojas said. “He was very welcoming to me when I came into my position, you know, fellow manager from the same city, and I have so much respect for him.”
The Yankees released a statement on Wednesday afternoon, revealing that Boone would be taking an immediate medical leave after experiencing lightheadedness and fatigue that led to doctors recommending the pacemaker.
“I’ll find out more details, but my prayers and thoughts are with him and his family right now,” Rojas said. “I just want to pray for the best with him. I wanted to share that with everyone here, because I found out when I was in a game. The word [was] spread around real quick.”
Rojas wasn’t the only one to offer their best to Boone. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Boone's former colleague at ESPN, extended his support at the start of his press conference on Wednesday.
“I just found out about Boonie,” Cora said. “My thoughts and prayers for everything that is going to go on. He’s one of my best friends in baseball. We were teammates at ESPN. I know he’s going to be fine and we’re going to get back to competing again. I’m looking forward to seeing him in New York.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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