As Yankees hitters wrapped up a meeting before Thursday’s series finale against the Guardians, Oswaldo Cabrera rolled into the clubhouse with his knee resting on a padded scooter.
“It’s so bad,” the utilityman said of life on wheels. “I don’t like it, but it is what it is. I have to do it, and I hope to be out of this scooter soon.”
Cabrera fractured his left ankle trying to score in Seattle on May 12. The incident caused a somber scene near home plate, as Yankees teammates, coaches and personnel huddled around the always-affable 26-year-old before an ambulance took him off the field and to a nearby hospital.
On Thursday, Cabrera said the pain he felt that night was an 8-out-of-10. “It was a high number,” he added. Asked to recount the evening, he called it a “sad” one.
“It was not a good night for me. It wasn’t a good night for a lot of people around me,” Cabrera said. “When that happened, you’ve got a lot of bad thoughts in your mind. But everything happened for a reason, so I can’t do anything about it.”
Less than a month later, he said he’s feeling better with every passing day.
He can’t put weight on his foot yet, and he’ll be in a boot for about another two months, so his rehab has been limited to massages and small movements. He hopes to do more exercise and walk with the boot in the coming weeks.
Doctors told Cabrera he’ll make a full recovery. The swelling in his ankle has progressed as they had hoped so far. He also has plates, screws and “something like a rope” in there, he said.
“Everything that happened can be worse than that,” Cabrera said, showing off his trademark positivity. “So I’m good.”
He would be even better if gets to play again this season.
“I want to,” Cabrera said, but he acknowledged that there’s only a “small possibility” of that happening.
“I’m the optimistic guy that feels like the good things can be on my way,” he said. “So yeah, I’m gonna work to get back soon.”
Asked if Cabrera could really return in 2025, Aaron Boone said, “I don’t think we’re necessarily expecting it, but you never know.”
“I know there’s not a better person out there who loves all this as much as him,” Boone continued, “and I know he’s going to pour everything into the rehab process and healing. We’ll see where we are as it unfolds.”
Cabrera mentioned that being around the team and his peers is motivating him to pull off what would be a miraculous timeline. He deeply appreciated that his teammates, including Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe, visited him at the hospital in Seattle after that game on May 12.
“In those moments, you realize how they love you and how we care about each other inside here,” Cabrera said.
For now, Cabrera said he’s “bored,” but he’s taken advantage of the chance to spend more time with his dad and fiancé. He noted that he has more time to think about wedding planning, too. A date hasn’t been set for the occasion, but Cabrera plans on dancing that night.
Asked how quickly it took him to have a positive attitude after his injury, Cabrera said “right away.” He prefaced that answer by stating that reporters may not believe him, but the response perfectly fit his upbeat nature.
Now he’s focused on coming back stronger, whenever that may be.
“I can’t do anything to go back and change something,” Cabrera said. “So what can I do now to get better? What can I do to be ready and be a better player when I come back?”
