La Russa will join Sox in Oakland Sunday, but still not cleared to manage

Tony La Russa in going to be back on the same field as the White Sox Sunday, but his return as manager remains a mystery.

Before Saturday's game against the Athletics, the Sox announced La Russa's team of doctors cleared the 77-year-old Hall of Famer to travel to Oakland to participate in Sunday's pregame ceremony retiring Dave Stewart's uniform number.

La Russa managed the A's from 1986-95 and Stewart was the 1989 World Series MVP for Oakland. The two have remained very close friends through the years.

Away from the White Sox since Aug. 30 while undergoing medical testing in Arizona, La Russa's doctors have still not cleared him to return to the dugout.

There's been speculation La Russa would be back managing the Sox Tuesday night when they return to Guaranteed Rate Field for a two-game interleague series against the Rockies, but it's looking like Miguel Cairo's run of acting manager is going to continue.

Either way, the White Sox look to be in good shape.

Here's what La Russa said a few weeks ago:

"We're in contention. Happy we're in contention but not happy that we haven't gotten really hot yet. There have been several years where you fight the good fight and all of a sudden everything you put in the bank starts paying off."

Here's what Cairo had to say a few days ago:

"There have been so much injuries and I think we've been doing a really good job playing with a lot of the big pieces on our team being away or injured. Even with all the injuries, I think we're in a place that anything can happen. This team can do some stuff."

Stuff like rallying to beat the A's 5-3 Friday night, scoring all of their runs after Jose Abreu grounded out leading off the ninth inning.

"They don't give up," Cairo said. "And they believe that we can do it. We don't give up. That's the phrase that Tony used: 'Never give up.'"

If you go on social media, Cairo is the overwhelming choice to continue on as White Sox manager.

That's hardly a surprise, given the vast number of Sox fans that have been down on La Russa since chairman Jerry Reinsdorf plucked him out of retirement before the 2021 season and put him back in the dugout.

The "Fire Tony" chants have been commonplace on the South Side this year, and they were louder than usual two weeks ago when the Diamondbacks came in and swept the White Sox in a three-game series.

Cairo is a new face, a younger voice at 48 and he's brought some much needed energy to the stretch run.

The Sox have responded very well, but like it or not, La Russa is poised to return at some point.

No matter who's in the dugout, the White Sox are positioned to track down the first-place Guardians and win the AL Central.

Give estimable Cleveland manager Terry Francona credit for getting the Guardians to the top of the division, even if it's far and away the softest in baseball.

It's taken the Sox much longer than expected, but they are far more talented than Cleveland - and Minnesota, for that matter.

Getting Tim Anderson back in the next week or so and getting Luis Robert back much sooner than that is only going to make the White Sox better, and possibly a team to keep an eye on in the playoffs.