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Yankees 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 'Probably Unlikely' to Return in 2025 Following Surgery

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday that Oswaldo Cabrera also suffered ligament damage when he fractured his ankle this week, likely knocking him out for the rest of the New York Yankees' season.

Sam Connon

Seattle, Washington, USA; Trainers tend to New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera (95) after getting injured while scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle, Washington, USA; Trainers tend to New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera (95) after getting injured while scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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After suffering a scary injury Monday night against the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera has started his road to recovery. Now it's just a matter of how long it takes the 26-year-old to return to action.

Cabrera underwent surgery Thursday to repair his fractured left ankle. Additional ligament damage was revealed upon further evaluation, making the procedure more complex, but manager Aaron Boone said it still went well.

Prior to Friday's game against the New York Mets, Boone was uncertain but pessimistic when asked if Cabrera would return this season.

"We still don't know," Boone said. "I would say probably unlikely. Probably won't know until a week, 10 days in to where we get the doctors' protocols and then you get the ramp up as you go. So it was a little more involved in there, but I think all things considered, fairly successful too."

Cabrera had been batting .243 with a .641 OPS and 0.4 WAR through 34 games this season, spending most of his time at third base. Since making his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2022, Cabrera has played every position besides catcher.

New York activated DJ LeMahieu off the injured list just as Cabrera went down, and have since leaned on a platoon of Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza at third base. But between Cabrera's youth and defensive dynamism, the Yankees could miss him as the season progresses.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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