TAMPA, Fla. – New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is into his second full week on the bench after having a pacemaker inserted and says he's feeling “awesome.”
Boone had the procedure done at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, on March 3 and was back on the job after missing just three games.
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“Just a lot different, honestly,” Boone said before Sunday’s road game against the Toronto Blue Jays. “Energy. Even cardio-vascular workout capabilities. Done some (Peloton) rides I haven’t done in a few months that I didn’t even realize, oh, this is what it’s supposed to be like.”
Boone’s pacemaker is to keep his heart rate from dropping below 50-60 beats per minute or from rising too high.
“Still have some arm restrictions,” Boone said. “So I can’t like lift weights like I normally do but that will be hopefully a few more weeks. But as far as just getting around, energy in the mornings and all day, so much better.”
Boone had open heart surgery on March 26, 2009, while he was a player with the Houston Astros, a procedure to correct a swelling of the aorta. The condition had been first discovered when he was in college.
The 48-year-old Boone underwent yearly checkups since and said electrocardiograms this winter came back good, with no change, But when he was monitored for several weeks, he was found to have a heart rate as low as 30-39 beats per minute, well below the 60-100 considered normal for adults.
“I’m really, really thankful and grateful that we were able to identify it and it went kind of as they told me it would,” Boone said. “I was very at peace and comfortable with getting it done. They told me you’ll notice a big difference. Until you go through it and experience it, I guess you don’t realize how much of a difference you notice.”
Boone is entering his fourth season as manager of the Yankees.
NOTES: Boone said INF-OF Miguel Andújar (sore right hand and wrist) and C Robinson Chirinos (broken right wrist) will both see a hand specialist on Monday. Andújar first felt discomfort taking a swing in a winter league game. After calming down, the soreness returned last week. Chirinos was hit by a pitch on Mar. 10.
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