Ron Darling diagnosed with thyroid cancer

In a statement today, Ron Darling announced that further tests after the removal of the mass on his chest revealed that he has thyroid cancer.

The full statement reads:

After the removal of the mass on my chest along with further tests, I have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. My doctors have said they are optimistic that the cancer is treatable and that I would be back on air talking baseball in the next month or so. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their continued support.

The 58-year-old Darling is currently on a medical leave of absence from the SNY booth after he announced in mid-April that he had a mass on chest that would require surgery to remove. He successfully underwent surgery and remains in recovery. Although he remains optimistic that he will return to the booth in the next month or so, this diagnosis obviously adds a wrinkle to that possibility. The overall 5-year survival rate of thyroid cancer is 98%, but Darling’s actual prognosis depends on the specific type of cancer, the stage, and other factors.

Darling was hired by SNY to be a color commentator for the Mets in 2006, making this his fourteenth season doing Mets broadcasts. He has won an Emmy for his work as a broadcaster and has been doing color commentary for TBS during their postseason coverage, as well as work for MLB Network as a studio analyst. He recently released 108 Stitches, his third book.

The Amazin’ Avenue community has Ron in our thoughts as he undergoes treatments and wishes him well, hoping he will return to the broadcast booth soon.