SNY's Keith Hernandez needs shoulder surgery, out for regular season
Mets announcer and former player Keith Hernandez speaks during a pre-game ceremony to retire his No. 17 before a baseball game between the Mets and Miami Marlins on July 9 at Citi Field. Credit: AP/John Minchillo
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Mets suffered a noteworthy injury this week — but it won’t affect their roster.
SNY color commentator Keith Hernandez will miss the rest of the regular season and have shoulder surgery next week after suffering “a complete tear of a tendon in his shoulder,” play-by-play man Gary Cohen revealed during the SNY broadcast of the Mets’ 9-2 win over the Athletics on Friday.
“Sometimes the injured list claims victims that you just don’t expect,” Cohen said.
Hernandez was walking in Manhattan on Wednesday night when the mishap happened. It began with him trying to step on a curb, his glasses in one hand and phone in the other.
“He didn’t quite make the curb, and he fell,” Cohen said. “Protected the phone, protected the glasses and fell directly on his shoulder.”
Cohen added that Hernandez hopes to make a one-inning cameo in the SNY booth during the Mets’ regular-season finale, Oct. 4 against the Nationals. They also hope he’ll be able to participate in pregame and postgame shows during the playoffs. SNY does not air postseason games.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
