Bob Costas will return to covering the Sochi Winter Olympics on NBC tonight after being sidelined by the network because of a very serious eye infection in both eyes.

“I’m not 100 percent, that’s for sure, but if I waited until I was 100 percent, the Olympics would be over,” Costas said in a phone interview with the Today Show.

Matt Lauer covered for Costas on Tuesday night once the network realized Costas needed to rest his eyes. It was the first time since 1988 that Costas did not cover the games as prime time anchor for NBC.

Lauer continued to cover the games for three nights until NBC replaced him with Meredith Viera, the first woman to ever anchor NBC’s prime time Olympic coverage on her own.

Here’s what Costas looked like just before Lauer took over for him.

Bob Costas' eyes are not doing well over in Sochi. Like, at all: http://t.co/qRTq44Gdxl pic.twitter.com/rlw63w1wyZ

— Buzzer on FOX (@BuzzeronFOX) February 11, 2014

Costas’ return was greeted with enthusiasm and a some teasing on Twitter.

Keep your eye out for Bob Costas tonight http://t.co/0S2PMUDtSO

— TIME.com (@TIME) February 17, 2014

BOB'S BACK! Bob Costas will make his return to primetime coverage tonight #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/O4WhccLtkQ

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 17, 2014

Olympics: Bob Costas To Return To Sochi NBC Coverage On Monday. We'll keep and eye out for you, Bob. http://t.co/vZS98Y64PW

— John Campbell (@whoisjohngalt) February 17, 2014

i'm not watching the olympics but some of these stills of bob costas hosting are amazing — pic.twitter.com/ZWHjbgzPIj

— Tom Spurgeon (@comicsreporter) February 17, 2014

@PioneerPress a sight for sore eyes? Costas' eyes are getting more coverage than all the great olympic stories. sad.

— Mike Henderson (@mhenderson33) February 17, 2014

#Sochi #BobCostas In a land far away. A forbidden romance, true love. Bob Costas, Vladimir Putin. The King & Queen of Russia. Coming to NBC!

— Cameron (@Poet_Cameron) February 17, 2014

Hmmm, Bob Costas covers the "Russian" olympics, gets "pink" eye. Will GOP re-establish HUAC to investigate? #union #1u

— Donald Taylor (@UnionDon) February 17, 2014

“@NBCOlympics: BOB'S BACK! Bob Costas will make his return to primetime coverage tonight #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/YBZTwKWL5m” well thank god

— Jenna (@siriuslyjenna) February 17, 2014

Image via YouTube