DETROIT — Oswaldo Cabrera is making his long-awaited return to the big leagues.
More than a year after he fractured his left ankle and sustained ligament damage in a gruesome scene in Seattle, the beloved utilityman is coming back to the Yankees as a replacement for Ryan McMahon, who is going on the injured list with an ear/throat infection, a source confirmed Wednesday.
The switch-hitting Cabrera had recently caught fire at Triple-A, batting .397 with a .967 OPS in 18 June games.
Overall, he has been especially impactful from the right side, batting .385 with a .965 OPS in 64 plate appearances.
That looms large as the Yankees are in a stretch where they are set to face a steady stream of lefty starters, including Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on Wednesday night.
The brutal ankle injury cost Cabrera the rest of his 2025 season before he returned to exhibition action this spring.
He was still shaking off rust by the end of camp, when the Yankees (with a plethora of depth) optioned him to Triple-A.
McMahon, meanwhile, had been battling the infection over the last few days. He was supposed to be in Tuesday’s lineup against a righty but was eventually scratched because he was “still pretty banged up,” Aaron Boone had said.
