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His voice quavering at an unexpected news conference Alex Burmistrov Jersey , Sandy Alderson revealed what he had just told his team moments before.

His cancer has returned, he’s taking a leave of absence – and his up-and-down tenure as New York Mets general manager is essentially over.

With the team in a massive tailspin, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and the 70-year-old Alderson made the announcement before Tuesday night’s game against Pittsburgh.

”With respect to the future, I would say two things: One is, notwithstanding the good prognosis, my health is an uncertainty going forward,” said Alderson, who agreed to a contract extension in December. ”And secondly, if I were to look at it on the merits, I’m not sure coming back is warranted.”

Asked whether he would like Alderson to resume his GM duties if his health eventually allowed that, Wilpon answered the same way twice: ”I think his health and his family are first and foremost.”

Assistant general manager John Ricco and special assistants J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya will run the club’s baseball operations in Alderson’s absence. Minaya preceded Alderson as Mets general manager, and Ricciardi was GM of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2001-09.

Alderson was hired by the Mets after the 2010 season. He was diagnosed with cancer at the end of the 2015 season and had surgery, but stayed on the job. He reduced his work schedule at times but remained in a full-time role while undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

”One difference between then and now is that that took place in the offseason,” Alderson said. ”I had a surgery in the offseason, I had some chemo in the offseason. Much easier to manage that with offseason activity. I had the decision-making authority basically at that time. I will not have the decision-making authority going forward. If people want to call me, they’re welcome to do so. But at the same time, I don’t expect to be involved in day-to-day activity.”

Ricciardi, Minaya and first-year manager Mickey Callaway were all in the interview room at Citi Field when Alderson and Wilpon made the announcement.

Wilpon said Alderson informed him of his decision Sunday.

”It is paramount to all of us that care greatly for Sandy that he makes this a priority for him and his family,” Wilpon said, later adding: ”The wear and tear on Sandy, I’ve seen up close and personal. I talked to him a couple times about maybe taking a leave, maybe stepping away a little bit, and I had sort of forgotten about it because so much has been going on.”

According to players, Alderson broke down a bit as he spoke to his teary-eyed team in the clubhouse before addressing the media.

”It definitely puts life in perspective,” said outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who was Alderson’s first amateur draft pick in 2011. ”Just very somber news that we received. Our heart’s broken for him. He’s been through this battle before. He knows what’s in store.”

Mets captain David Wright, sidelined by injuries for more than two years, said players stood and gave Alderson a round of applause.

”I think there was a lot of jaws hitting the floor,” Wright recalled. ”I think we had a bit of an emotional talk. It wasn’t long, but at the end we certainly wanted to pay him respect.”

Alderson said a recurrence of his cancer was detected around late April or early May and he’s been receiving treatment since.

”I expect that the treatment will continue, expect to have surgery later this summer. My prognosis is actually good. But in the meantime Bo Horvat Jersey , the chemotherapy, the surgery, all take their toll,” Alderson said.

He said the treatment affects his energy level and leads to other side effects, explaining why he hasn’t been traveling on road trips lately.

”Which makes it difficult to stay up with sort of the pace, the tempo of the every day,” Alderson said. ”Operations continue, the game continues, we have a season to play. So I think in the best interests of the Mets and for my health, this is the right result.

”I feel badly that we’ve had the season that we have had to date. I feel personally responsible for the results that we’ve had,” he added. ”At the same time, I have confidence in our manager, our coaching staff, our players, that this will change. John, Omar, J.P., I’m sure will take a hard look at where we are, maybe take a fresh look at where we are and I have every confidence that they will serve the franchise well over the next few months through the end of the season.”

Alderson’s departure comes at a pivotal time for the Mets ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Needing an infusion of young talent, they will likely look to sell off pending free agents such as closer Jeurys Familia, second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera and outfielder Jose Bautista. But ace pitchers Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard could command a huge return, and the front office must decide whether to embark on such a significant overhaul.

New York reached the 2015 World Series after rebuilding under Alderson and made it back to the playoffs the following year, but injuries and underperformance have decimated the team since.

After going 70-92 last year, the Mets replaced manager Terry Collins with Callaway and spent nearly $90 million to fill holes in free agency. They jumped out to an 11-1 start this season, but a 6-24 slide left them 31-45 with the fewest wins in the National League going into Tuesday night’s game.

”It’s been incredibly difficult,” Alderson said. ”And I’m reall Louisville officials are not happy with the NCAA’s decision that mandates the school vacate its 2013 men’s basketball championship in the wake of an embarrassing sex scandal, and interim President Greg Postel did not hide his disappointment.

It’s the first time a Division 1 men’s basketball program has been stripped of a national title. While acknowledging the scandal was unacceptable, Postel believes the school’s cooperation with the NCAA should have counted for more than it did.

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Louisville announced that an NCAA appeals panel had upheld sanctions against the men’s program. As a result, the Cardinals have to vacate not only the championship, but 122 other victories and return about $600,000 in conference revenue from the 2012-15 NCAA Tournaments.

NBA

DALLAS (AP) – The Dallas Mavericks have hired outside counsel to investigate allegations of inappropriate conduct by former team president Terdema Ussery in a Sports Illustrated report that described a hostile workplace for women.

Ussery was accused of making sexually suggestive remarks to several women. He spent 18 years with the team before going to the sports apparel company Under Armour in 2015. Ussery http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-josh-rosen-jersey , who was investigated by the team over similar claims in 1998, denied the allegations in a statement to SI.

The report said team website reporter Earl Sneed was twice accused of domestic assault while working for the Mavericks, including a guilty plea in a case that was dismissed when he met the conditions of the agreement.

The team said Sneed had been fired, and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told SI that he fired human resources director Buddy Pittman after learning details of the magazine’s report. Pittman and Sneed declined to comment to SI.

NFL

MIAMI (AP) – The Miami Dolphins decided receiver Jarvis Landry is worth any headaches he causes, even if the cost is $16 million.

Landry was given a non-exclusive franchise tag after leading the NFL with 112 catches in 2017. The move by the Dolphins came on the first day that teams could assign franchise tags.

The tag’s value is expected to be about $16 million. Landry made $894,000 last season.

Landry has said he wanted to remain with the Dolphins, and they said they wanted him back. But his volatile personality has been cause for a concern – especially on a team that went 6-10 last year in part because of poor discipline.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Andrew Luck delivered some good news to Indianapolis Colts fans.

He feels better. He ruled out additional surgery. And he’s eager to play football after spending the last 13 months rehabbing from shoulder surgery. If all goes well, the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback might even return in time for the start of April’s offseason workouts.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Injured Pittsburgh Steelers Ryan Shazier doesn’t just plan to play again following a spinal injury. He says he wants to make it all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Shazier opened up to teammate Roosevelt Nix on Nix’s podcast, Shazier’s first public comments since injuring his spine in a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4.

Shazier told Nix, who released the podcast on Tuesday night, that he plans to walk again on his own and return to a career that was on the verge of stardom before the injury, one that required spinal stabilization surgery and left him in the hospital for two months.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Titans kicker Ryan Succop has agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension.

Succop scored a career-high 136 points in 2017 to tie Al Del Greco’s 1998 franchise record. His 35 field goals and 42 field-goal attempts were both career highs. He went 31 of 33 on extra-point attempts.

During the 2017 season, Succop set the NFL record for most consecutive successful field-goal attempts from inside 50 yards. His streak, which began in 2014, lasted 56 attempts to break the mark of 46 that Matt Bryant had set from 2013-15.

HOUSTON (AP) – The Houston Texans have released veteran linebacker Brian Cushing.

Cushing, who was a first-round pick in 2009, is the franchise’s all-time leader in tackles with 664, but his career has been marked by two suspensions for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers.

Cushing has had several major injuries in his career and played 12 games combined in 2012 and 2013 because of knee injuries and a broken leg. He missed three games in 2016 because of a sprained knee ligament and sustained a concussion in Houston’s season opener against the Jaguars last season.

BASEBALL

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – The Arizona Diamondbacks sent infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees and received outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade that included five players plus two to be named later.

The deal was announced one day after former Diamondbacks slugger J.D. Martinez agreed to a $110 million, five-year contract with Boston, pending a physical. Arizona has moved quickly to fill that hole in the outfield, signing speedy Jarrod Dyson to a $7.5 million, two-year contract on Monday before trading for Souza.

Souza will be the starter at one corner outfield position, with Dyson subbing at all three spots.

Drury gives the Yankees a new option at third base or second base, where New York was projected to start a pair of rookies.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy isn’t sure his surgically repaired right knee will be ready in time for opening day.

Murphy underwent an operation to repair cartilage shortly after last season, a procedure than included micro-fracture surgery.