The New York Yankees‘ Oswaldo Cabrera‘s 2025 campaign looked over the moment he collapsed near home plate in Seattle, clutching his ankle after scoring on a sacrifice fly. The sight of him being carted off the field in an ambulance was a gut punch. The later diagnosis of a fracture with ligament damage—requiring screws and plates—was the knockout blow.
But don’t tell that to Cabrera.
Wheeling around the Yankees clubhouse in a scooter boot combo, the 26-year-old isn’t just hopeful—he’s quietly determined to beat the odds.
“I want to [play], obviously,” Cabrera told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I’m not happy to be here and not playing. To be with my guys and watch them, I’m happy to watch what they are doing out there, but I want to be with them outside. That’s my motivation.”
Manager Still Cautious, but Door Not Shut
Yankees skipper Aaron Boone isn’t ready to call it a comeback—but he’s not closing the door either.
“I think there’s a small possibility,” Boone said. “I don’t think we’re necessarily expecting it, but you never know how he heals over the next couple of months. I know he’s going to pour everything into the rehab process.”
Cabrera opened 2025 as the starting third baseman and slashed .243/.322/.308 in 34 games. While those numbers don’t leap off the page, his energy and versatility made him a critical glue guy in a clubhouse chasing postseason dreams.
A Familiar Face in a Time of Need
One of the most poignant moments post-injury came when Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe visited Cabrera in the hospital.
“Even if it’s me just sitting in the corner, I’m there for him,” Judge told The Athletic. “You’ve got to be there for your teammates through the good times and the bad times. It’s something I know he would do for me.”
That kind of gesture meant the world to Cabrera. “It’s not just because Judge and Volpe are our leaders. I know if everybody had the opportunity to come that night, they would do it.”
A Grueling Recovery and a Wedding to Plan
For now, rehab dominates Cabrera’s days—massage therapy, rest, and staring at the same four walls. The scooter? “So bad. I don’t like it,” he said with a laugh.
But there’s one silver lining. With more time off the field, Cabrera is diving into wedding planning with fiancée Ari Gonzales. The couple got engaged during Spring Training.
Long Odds, Familiar Grit
The Yankees won’t rush him, and he knows the clock is against him. But if there’s one player who might speed it up through sheer will, it’s Oswaldo Cabrera.
But this much is certain: if he’s physically able, he’ll be pushing to get back on the field. “I want to be with them outside,” Cabrera said. “That’s what I’m working toward.”
He’s not just trying to beat a timeline. He’s trying to rejoin the family he bleeds for—even if only for the final stretch of the regular season.
And maybe, for October.
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