Michael Kay's Return to YES Network Booth Delayed
By Scott Rogust
Michael Kay has been a notable absence in the New York Yankees broadcast booth, and he's had a bit of a setback.
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Kay will be out an additional week to 10 days as he recovers from vocal cord surgery. Kay was originally expected to return this Friday to call the Yankees' game against the Boston Red Sox, but after a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, he was told he needed more time to recover.
NEWS: Michael Kay's return to YES booth delayed https://t.co/ficuDEGXUX via @nypostsports
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 31, 2019
"It is a precautionary measure," YES Network president of programming and production John Filippelli said, via the New York Post. "Without question, his health is first and foremost in my mind."
Kay has been anxious to return to the booth and to his afternoon radio show on ESPN New York. However, his bosses want him to "take a few more weeks" to ensure his voice is 100-percent, considering the hectic schedule he carries during the baseball season.
Michael Kay has not received medical clearance to return to Yankees play-by-play on the YES Network for Friday’s Red Sox-Yankees game, as he had hoped, and will be replaced again for that game by Ryan Ruocco: https://t.co/EVM9ZmMRNV | @sportswatch pic.twitter.com/0EbVLmMp2o
— Newsday Sports (@NewsdaySports) July 31, 2019
The longtime Yankee broadcaster had a nodule removed from his vocal chord, where Kay was advised not to speak or clear his throat for three weeks. In this latest update, Kay will continue to remain silent in order to preserve his voice.
With Kay's return delayed, Ryan Ruocco will continue to fill in over the next week, while Bob Costas will call this Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox matchup for YES Network.