One night after being hit in the forehead by a foul ball, John Sterling back at work 

Legendary Yankees broadcaster John Sterling was back behind the mic on Sunday night after getting hit in the forehead with a foul ball during the ninth inning of Saturday night’s Yankees victory over Boston.

Sterling, who will turn 85 on July 4, was hit by a foul back to the radio booth off the bat of Boston’s Justin Turner. The blow knocked off his glasses, and he wore a Band-Aid over his left eyebrow on Sunday night.

After an audible thud on the broadcast, Sterling could be heard exclaiming, “Ow! Ow! Ow! It really hit me. I didn’t know it was coming back that far.” 

Sterling then calmly said, “So, once again, it’ll be a 3-2” and called the next pitch (another foul, not back) as if nothing had happened. He continued one more pitch for the final out of the game and then broke out his signature “Yankees win! Thuhhhhh Yankees win!” call. 

Sterling’s longtime broadcast partner, Suzyn Waldman, was out of the booth, waiting on the field for the game to end to interview her star of the game. 

“I took one for the team,” Sterling said on the broadcast. 

Sterling  returned to the booth on Tuesday after missing 23 games, some of which were planned and others because of illness. 

Rivalry dulled? 

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry may not be as fierce as it once was, but Aaron Boone — who knows a thing or two about Yankees-Red Sox — said the first two games of this series had a familiar buzz. 

“Definitely, the last two nights walking out into the dugout 10, 15 minutes before the game, feels like summer baseball, Yankee Stadium, with the Red Sox in town,” he said. “Place filled. A buzz in the air. Certainly felt that way to me.” 

Trainer’s room 

Boone said Harrison Bader (hamstring strain) is “getting really close” to being activated off the injured list . . . Reliever Ryan Weber has decided to try treating his right forearm strain medically rather than having Tommy John surgery. 

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.