Oswaldo Cabrera is set to make his spring debut Friday night, marking the Yankee utility man’s long-awaited return from a gruesome ankle fracture.
Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field comes nearly 10 months after Cabrera suffered the season-ending injury.
“I just can’t wait,” Cabrera said on Thursday’s YES Network game broadcast. “I feel like tomorrow feels like a World Series game for me.”
The serious injury occurred on May 12 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle when Cabrera’s left ankle buckled awkwardly as he scored on a sacrifice fly.
In a sobering scene, Cabrera left the field in an ambulance that night. He underwent surgery later that week.
“It’s not easy,” Cabrera, 27, said Thursday of his rehab. “Obviously, it’s not an easy process, but I think we have beautiful and really nice personnel in there with the trainers, with the coaches, with everybody who made this process a little bit more easy. Everything that I do is just trust them and keep going.”
The Yankees have eased Cabrera back into action this spring, though he said Thursday that he had taken part in all of the requisite drills in preparation for Friday’s return, including sliding.
“You can’t imagine how excited I am,” the always-upbeat Cabrera said, adding with a smile, “I can’t control my emotions right now.”
Cabrera is a .234 hitter with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases over parts of four MLB seasons.
The switch-hitter has appeared at every position other than catcher in the majors and was the Yankees’ Opening Day third baseman last year.
It remains unclear whether Cabrera will be deemed ready for Opening Day this year, with manager Aaron Boone recently describing that scenario as “TBD.”
The Yankees have a crowded bench mix, even with José Caballero set to start the season at shortstop as Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery.
Two of the bench spots will go to infielders Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario, while outfielder Randal Grichuk has a strong chance at another. If the Yankees opt to carry a third catcher, the final bench spot would go to J.C. Escarra.
But Cabrera has minor-league options remaining, allowing the Yankees some flexibility even if he does not begin the season on the injured list.
