The Yankees’ final run in an 11-5 win over the Mariners on Monday provided a sobering moment at T-Mobile Park, as Oswaldo Cabrera left the game on a stretcher and in an ambulance in the ninth inning.
The third baseman, trying to avoid a tag play on an Aaron Judge sac fly, slipped and injured his left ankle in gruesome fashion as he neared home. Cabrera willed his way to the plate, sneaking his left hand in and scoring a run, but he immediately pounded his open right hand into the dirt in agony.
After the game, Aaron Boone didn’t have any additional information on Cabrera, other than to say he was at a Seattle-area hospital.
“I think everyone understands it’s a pretty serious situation,” Boone told reporters, via the YES Network. “So just praying for our guy Cabby tonight and hoping for the best.”
As Cabrera laid down in the dirt, the Yankees and Mariners’ training staffs worked to immobilize him. Tim Lentych, the Yankees’ head athletic trainer, hugged Cabrera on the ground, trying to console the 26-year-old the best he could as teammates circled them.
Boone said Lentych went to the hospital with Cabrera.
Initially, a cart was called for Cabrera. However, the ambulance ultimately took him off the field after he was placed on a stretcher and in a brace.
Boone said that Cabrera was talking as he left the field. He repeatedly said that he was in pain.
Cabrera also asked Judge if he scored. The affirmative answer brought a smile to Cabrera’s face.
Now in his fourth big league season, Cabrera is hitting .243 with one home run and 11 RBI. An uber-versatile defender, he has primarily played third this year.
In addition to his flexibility, Cabrera has earned a reputation for being incredibly upbeat. His relentlessly positive approach to life has been ever-present since he debuted in 2022, making Monday’s somber scene all the more difficult to watch for those who know him best.
“Oswaldo’s the best of us,” Trent Grisham told the YES Network. “He shows up every day with the right attitude, plays the game hard, and he’s the best person off the field. We just love him.”
Added Boone: “He is an example in so many ways for anyone to look to for how to go about living their life. So your heart breaks anytime something serious happens, but all of us know Oswaldo Cabrera and what a special person he is.”
