CLEVELAND — Terry Francona’s feeling more fit and a little feisty. That’s welcome news for the Cleveland Indians.

After missing most of this past season with significant health problems, Francona said Monday that he’s stronger physically and looking forward to managing again in 2021, his ninth season with the club and 21st in the majors.

“I feel good. I’ve spent the last six weeks really working hard,” Francona said on a call from his home in Arizona. “I told (Indians president of baseball operations) Chris (Antonetti) I needed to do that. I said, `Hey, give me until Thanksgiving just to make sure I’m OK.’ We’re coming up on Thanksgiving now and I’m doing pretty well.

“I’ve been active, lost some weight and feel like I’m putting myself in a better position to succeed physically over the course of a long season.”

One of baseball’s best and most well-liked managers, Francona was in the dugout with the Indians for only 14 games this year due to a gastrointestinal issue requiring several surgeries. He also suffered some blood-clot complications that landed him in the hospital for several days.

He’s eager to return to doing what he loves most.

“I will be extremely excited, I guarantee you. I wouldn’t have come back if I wasn’t,” he said. “I think you’re cheating the organization to have somebody in charge who’s not excited. The timetable is still the same. You go through the holidays and then you get to the first of the year and everybody gets the itch to come back.”

“I need to respect that with the players and the coaches, because they went through the grind, even though it was a 60-game grind. I was laying at home.”

Francona has assembled his coaching staff for 2021.