TAKING A BREAK

Mets Broadcaster Ron Darling to Have Surgery for Chest Mass

Darling is in the midst of a legal battle with ex-teammate Lenny Dykstra.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Ron Darling, who was part of the Mets’ 1986 World Series-winning team, announced he is taking a break from the broadcasting booth for surgery to remove a mass from his chest. Darling, 58, provided few details about his medical situation in his announcement from the booth during Saturday night’s Mets game against the Atlanta Braves. “Doctors have told me if there are no complications I should be back on air talking baseball sometime next month,” Darling said. Two of Darling’s friends told USA Today that his leave of absence has nothing to do with the dispute he’s having with Lenny Dykstra, who has sued him for writing in a biography that he made racist remarks.