The voice of the Yankees, Michael Kay, will be out another week to 10 days as he still needs more time to recover from vocal cord surgery.
Kay had hoped he could return to the YES booth and his ESPN New York afternoon radio show this Friday, but after a doctor’s visit on Wednesday, he was informed that he needed more time to heal.
“It is a precautionary measure,” YES president of programming and production John Filippelli said. “Without question, his health is first and foremost in my mind.”
Filippelli relayed there is optimism that Kay will return to full health and his voice should be fine.
Ryan Ruocco will fill in for Kay over the next week with Bob Costas calling one game of the Yankees-Red Sox doubleheader this Saturday.
Kay, 58, will continue to be silent as he recovers. After having a nodule removed from his vocal cord, Kay was told he could not talk, clear his throat or belch for three weeks.
Kay is eager to return and, in his mind, he wanted to work both his radio show and the Yankees-Red Sox game Friday. But his bosses want him to take it easy.
“He’s going to take a few more weeks,” said Tim McCarthy, ESPN New York’s GM. “We want to be really cautious with his schedule.”
Even if doctors had said Kay could return, McCarthy planned to hold him off radio a bit longer.
McCarthy said when legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey had the same surgery, Harvey returned too early and then was out another two months.
In the meantime, Kay’s afternoon show has been manned mostly by his sidekicks, Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, along with Chris Canty, Rick DiPietro and Alan Hahn receiving some time.
“I’m fine with him taking the whole summer,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy’s first concern, he said, was Kay’s health, but on the business side, he is aiming toward September, when the fall ratings competition against Mike Francesa begins anew.
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