This widely beloved role-player is finally returning to the New York Yankees.
Oswaldo Cabrera, a superutility player who is immensely popular among his teammates and Yankees fans, is being called up by the Bronx Bombers from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Jack Curry of YES Network was the first to report the move.
Cabrera's return to the Yankees is in response to third baseman Ryan McMahon landing on the 10-day injured list. McMahon has missed the past three games due to an ear/throat infection; the Yankees expect to activate him as soon as he's eligible.
Cabrera, 27, last played in the big leagues on May 12, 2025 against the Seattle Mariners. Late in that game, he suffered a gruesome left ankle fracture with additional ligament damage that ended his season; many of his teammates were visibly emotional as he was carried off the field on a stretcher.
Starting the 2026 season with the RailRiders, Cabrera needed time to shake the rust off as he hit just .222/.302/.333 in his first 50 games. However, he's caught fire in June by hitting .397/.405/.562 over his last 18 contests; despite being known as a stronger left-handed hitter, Cabrera has mashed southpaws this year with a .385 batting average and .965 OPS.
Cabrera has struggled to find consistency at the MLB level after 2022; playing in 44 games that year, he hit six home runs with a .740 OPS while combining for 11 defensive runs saved across the entire infield and corner outfield spots, ultimately registering 1.3 fWAR. He also endeared himself to teammates and fans with his energetic attitude and strong work ethic.
As for McMahon, he hadn't played since Sunday due to his infection. Although he was expected to be in the Yankees' lineup on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone scratched him for Anthony Volpe because McMahon was "still pretty banged up".
The Yankees are also expecting to face left-handed starting pitchers in five of their next six games, including the dominant Tarik Skubal tonight. This was likely why New York chose to place McMahon on the IL, although it will be back-dated.
New York will conclude their three-game series against the Detroit Tigers tonight before facing the rival Boston Red Sox in a four-game set. With Skubal on the bump for Detroit, Cabrera may see action due to his recent mastery against left-handed pitchers, although his return will be a welcome sight for the Yankees in any case.
