Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, and Gary Cohen in the SNY Mets booth. Credit: SNY Credit: SNY
By Matt Clapp on

Longtime New York Mets color commentator Keith Hernandez returned to the SNY booth on May 4 at Coors Field after missing a few weeks due to undergoing back surgery in early April. On Sunday, Hernandez returned to the Mets booth at Citi Field for the first time since the back surgery. And his return was well-timed, with the Mets making a late comeback to stun the New York Yankees in game three of the Subway Series.

“Well, I’m back,” Hernandez said before the game. “First home game since my surgery… And it’s the first time [Ron Darling] and I have worked together, I think, since [April 12th or April 14th]. Anyway, I’m back.”

“90 percent, no pain, except for listening to some of the other broadcasts,” Hernandez quipped, drawing laughter from Gary Cohen and Ron Darling. “I’m fine. I’m glad to be back.”

The Mets trailed 6-3 — and by as many as four runs in the game — with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning when Tyrone Taylor hit a game-tying three-run homer.

In the bottom of the 10th, Carson Benge (who had a tough moment on Saturday that led to a wild call from Fox announcer Joe Davis) and the Mets walked it off to win the series and cap off a 5-1 homestand.

On X, SNY showed how Hernandez, Cohen, and Darling reacted to those two moments.

That’s certainly a fun way for Hernandez to return to Citi Field for a Mets booth that Awful Announcing readers ranked as Major League Baseball’s No. 2 local booth in 2025, and No. 1 in 2024.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

View all posts by Matt Clapp