June 11 (UPI) -- Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen is taking a leave of absence from the club while his wife, Nicole, battles an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Hazen said Friday that he will continue to consult with assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye on a regular basis, but Sawdaye will take over day-to-day baseball operations.
The 45-year-old Hazen has been the D-Backs' general manager since 2016. He previously spent 11 years working for the Boston Red Sox, where he eventually became the team's general manager under Dave Dombrowski.
"First off, what I want to say, is that Nicole is doing OK," Hazen told reporters. "She's grinding along. But being realistic about the journey we're on right now, knowing what my job demands, and knowing the most important thing to me, this is demanding a percentage of my time that's starting to creep into the ability for me to do [my job] here physically.
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"As you guys all know -- and you guys have all been on the grind of a baseball season -- the long homestands, the travel, is becoming a little harder for me to do my job to the best of my ability, and still making what is the most important thing in my life the most important thing."
Hazen's wife, Nicole, has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor for more than a year. The couple has four sons together.
Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said he supports Hazen's decision. Hazen and Hall noted there is no timeline for the general manager's return.
