Oswaldo Cabrera was carted off the field after suffering a severe ankle injury while scoring from third base on an Aaron Judge sacrifice fly against Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in Game 2 of the American League wild-card series at T-Mobile Park. Cabrera reached back to touch home plate safely before curling up in pain. He was attended to by Yankees head athletic trainer Tim Lentych for several minutes as his teammates, led by Judge, showed concern for their injured teammate. Several players knelt or stood near the home plate area.
The incident sent shockwaves through T-Mobile Park, where many traveling Yankees fans were celebrating their team’s 11-5 lead over the Mariners after taking control of Game 2 with two outs in the ninth inning. The crowd fell silent as Cabrera received treatment and eventually left on a cart.
Judge said he didn’t see what happened but that it looked like Cabrera landed awkwardly on his ankle when he scored. "It’s tough," Judge said. "He’s been playing well all year."
Cabrera’s Season Performance
Cabrera has been one of New York’s most consistent hitters this season, hitting .244 with six doubles and three triples since being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 15. Manager Aaron Boone did not have any information about Cabrera’s status following the game but said he would be evaluated further. "We’ll get him checked out," Boone said. Cabrera is expected to undergo an MRI today and will likely miss time if it is confirmed that he suffered a significant injury.
The Yankees are already without Anthony Volpe (ankle) and Josh Donaldson (calf), who both missed Game 1 due to injuries sustained during batting practice earlier this week. Volpe was placed on injured reserve prior to Friday night’s game while Donaldson is listed day-to-day. The loss of another key player could put additional pressure on Harrison Bader, who has played shortstop alongside Volpe since joining New York via trade from St. Louis on July 30. Bader went hitless in four at-bats Friday night but made several strong defensive plays at shortstop.
"I think we’ve got guys who can step up," Bader said when asked about filling Volpe’s void. "We’ve got guys who can play multiple positions so I think we’re pretty deep right now."
Bader also praised Cabrera for his contributions throughout his rookie season. "Oswaldo has done a great job all year," Bader said. Cabrera has also shown improvement defensively at shortstop, having committed just two errors in September. He has played every position except first base and center field this season.
Game Highlights
In addition to his versatility, Cabrera has also shown the ability to make big plays in the field. His diving catch in Game 1 helped preserve a shutout by Gerrit Cole and gave the Yankees a much-needed boost of energy with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Cole pitched seven scoreless innings before being relieved by Michael King in the eighth inning. Jeff Nelson pitched the last two innings for New York but allowed three earned runs before being relieved by Lou Trivino. Trivino allowed one earned run on one hit but struck out two batters and retired all three batters he faced.
Trevor Stephan pitched in the top of the ninth inning for Seattle and allowed one unearned run on two hits while striking out two batters. Ryan Yarbrough started for Seattle and suffered a tough loss after allowing seven earned runs over five innings. Paul Sewald pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Sam Delaplane, who allowed one run over two innings before being relieved by Penn Murfee. Murfee allowed one run over one inning before giving way to Diego Castillo, who pitched two scoreless innings for Seattle despite allowing four hits.
Adam Frazier had three hits, including a double, while driving in three runs against former teammate Luis Severino. Seattle took an early lead thanks largely to its offense. Severino started strong, allowing just two runs over four innings but was unable to recover from a rough fifth inning where he allowed five earned runs. Three batters reached base via walk or hit-by-pitch during Severino’s fifth-inning meltdown.
New York tied the matter up with a five-run sixth inning off reliever Matt Brash. After Brash walked Josh Donaldson leading off the round, Yankees manager Aaron Boone brought in substitute batter Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Kiner-Falefa singled into right field, advancing Donaldson to the next base. Then Marwin Gonzalez singled into center field, advancing Kiner-Falefa to the next base. Next, Gleyber Torres doubled into left-center field, scoring both Donaldson and Kiner-Falefa. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a home run double into left-center field, scoring Torres. Harrison Bader then doubled into center field, scoring Stanton. Finally, Aaron Hicks singled into right field, scoring Bader.
New York added another run in the top of the seventh inning when Giancarlo Stanton homered again off Paul Sewald. Stanton’s slam scored Harrison Bader’s single that preceded it. Neither team scored until Adam Frazier drove home Jarred Kelenic with an RBI single against Luis Severino leading off the top of the second. Francisco Alvarez followed with an RBI single later that same frame, making it back-to-back singles for Seattle.
The Mariners added another run in the top of the third when Jarred Kelenic homered against Severino, marking his first homer of the season since June 22nd.
Injury Updates
Aaron Boone said pre-game that Anthony Volpe would not play due to bright ankle pain. Volpe was placed on the 10-day IL prior to Friday night’s game against Seattle. Josh Donaldson suffered a calf strain during batting practice earlier this week. Boone said pre-game that Donaldson would not play due to bright calf pain. The Yankees are already without Josh Strassmann, who suffered a cut posterior labral tear on September 23rd. Boone said that Strassmann will undergo an MRI today, which will determine if he suffers any additional damage. Strassmann has been placed on the nine-month IL following the surgery.
He is scheduled to undergo the risk-reward meeting on October 24th, which will determine whether he will have surgery to repair the damage or attempt to take a high-risk approach to save his arm. Some players have come up short this season, including Anthony Rizzo, who was placed on the nine-month IL on September 13th due to a right knee cartilage problem. Rizzo underwent arthroscopic surgery on September 14th, and his status remains unknown. Trevor Story was placed on the nine-month IL on August 21st due to a lower back strain and underwent arthroscopic surgery on August 22nd, with his status also remaining unknown. Finally, Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the nine-month IL on July 26th due to a right quad strain and underwent arthroscopic surgery on July 27th, with his status also remaining unknown.
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