Oswaldo Cabrera Injury Could Force Risky Yankees Decision

Cabrera stayed down on the ground, writhing in pain for a while. Players from both teams gathered around him before a cart took him off the ball park. 

He was later on rushed to the hospital on an ambulance after a brace was put on his left ankle.

"I think everyone understands it was a pretty serious situation," manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "So, just praying for our guy tonight and hoping for the best. Trust that he's in good hands as he goes through the night here."

Boone will have a tough decision to make with Cabrera out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. One of the options he has is to play catcher and designated hitter Ben Rice as a third baseman.

Rice has had a productive 2025 so far, improving vastly on his 2024 output. He has a WAR of 1.2 through 37 games this year and is slashing .256/.360/.558 so far. Rice hit a grand slam against the Athletics in the previous game and has been on a good run of form, tallying 9 home runs so far in 2025.

However, catchers typically don't have the same defensive prowess as specialists at the position. The Yankees would undoubtedly be risking leaking some runs if Rice doesn't adapt to his proposed new position.

Cabrera previously played as a first baseman - Rice's current role. It will be interesting to see how the role flip suits Ben Rice - in the event that it does take place.