SEATTLE — In a disturbing scene, New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera was taken off the field in an ambulance with a left ankle injury in the ninth inning of Monday night’s 11-5 win against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
The 26-year-old Venezuela native was taken to Harborview Medical Center, about a mile away from the ballpark. The severity of his injury was unclear as of Monday night. Trainer Tim Lentych accompanied Cabrera to the hospital.
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“Just praying for our guy Cabby tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said.
“Everybody in here feels terrible because you know how much he works, how hard he works, how much he loves and cares for everybody in this room,” right fielder Aaron Judge said.
Cabrera injured himself while tagging up from third base on Judge’s bases-loaded fly ball to left field with the Yankees ahead 10-5.
Left fielder Randy Arozarena’s throw was short of the plate, and Cabrera avoided the tag from catcher Cal Raleigh. He passed home plate and then planted his feet to reverse course to tag the plate, but twisted his left ankle in the process. After Cabrera touched home plate and scored the run, he fell to the ground in pain.
Yankees trainers immediately rushed to his aid. Lentych embraced Cabrera while he lay on the ground atop home plate. Other medical personnel tended to his left foot while teammates and Boone watched. An ambulance came from the outfield, and medical staff loaded Cabrera onto a stretcher and drove him off the field, accompanied by cheers from the crowd.
Before Cabrera was placed inside the ambulance, he called to Judge and asked him if he scored. Judge told him yes.
“So that made him smile,” Boone said. “But he was in some pain, obviously.”
Boone confirmed that Cabrera injured his ankle, which was braced before he was loaded onto the stretcher.
Oswald Peraza moved to third base to take over for Cabrera, and Jorbit Vivas went to second base.
The Yankees’ clubhouse was somber after the win. Boone said Cabrera is one of the “best people you’re going to come across.”
“He’s one of the best human beings in the clubhouse,” outfielder Trent Grisham said. “It stings. It hurts a lot to see somebody that’s one of the best of us go down like that.”
Grisham said he admires Cabrera for his attitude.
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“The way he does everything,” Grisham said. “The way he shows up with a smile. The way he leaves it all out there. The way that he cares for other people. It just pours out of him. You watch him play baseball, you get a taste of it. But when you get to know him, it’s so much deeper than that.”
Judge said what happened to Cabrera made it all but impossible to enjoy the victory.
“This is bigger,” he said. “What Cabrera meant to this team, what he means to me. A guy who shows up early and does his work. He cares for everybody in this room. He loves being a Yankee. He wears this jersey with pride. This is a tough one, especially a guy who’s (worked) his whole life and finally got an opportunity to be our everyday guy and has been excelling at it. You see something like this and it’s tough.”
Judge said the way the injury happened exemplified Cabrera’s relentless style.
“It’s a game where you’ve got a little bit of a lead and you’re still fighting for the very last out,” he said.
“As soon as you say his name,” starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt said, “I think of his kind spirit and who he is as a teammate, trying to uplift guys and always bring positive energy and always has a smile on his face.”
It’s possible that Cabrera could miss significant time; who could take his spot is unclear. The Yankees had already planned to activate infielder DJ LeMahieu from the injured list on Tuesday and start him at second base on Wednesday, Boone said. LeMahieu could also play third base, while Peraza and Reyes are other options.
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
