Rod Carew, awaiting transplant, will attend TwinsFest next weekend

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Twins say Hall of Famer Rod Carew is healthy enough to attend the team’s annual fan festival next weekend.

Carew had a heart attack in September and is awaiting a heart transplant. But the Twins said Friday that he’s feeling strongly enough and has been cleared by doctors to attend TwinsFest. The event begins on Friday and runs through the weekend.

Carew won’t be signing autographs as he normally does. But he does plan to participate in a news conference on Jan. 30 to announce what the team calls “a major initiative for 2016.” He also will have a question-and-answer session with fans on Jan. 31.

The seven-time batting champion will hold two private meet-and-greets with fans who win the bidding process at twinsbaseball.com.