Oswaldo Cabreraâs gruesome ankle injury left a cloud over the New York Yankeesâ road trip to Seattle. Despite taking two of three from the Seattle Mariners, the team could not have left the Pacific Northwest without thinking about their beloved third baseman/utility man.
If we learned anything from this gut-wrenching injury, it is that there is a reason for the Yankeesâ outpouring of love and support for Cabrera.
Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera Breaks Silence
He recently shared this message on his Instagram:
âAfter such a sad night for me, having so many negative thoughts after twisting my ankle so brutally, in so much pain, I went to try to sleep so I wouldnât give in to more bad thoughts. When I woke up, one of the first things I did was grab my phone. I didnât have hundreds, I had THOUSANDS of messages from my family, friends, fans, agents, coaches, teammatesâ¦âI simply had messages from EVERYONE. I dropped the phone on the bed and with a big SMILE on my face, the first thing I could say was âGod, how blessed I am.â
âMaybe itâs because itâs only after going through something like this that you realize the love that surrounds us. And TODAY, after a successful surgery with an excellent medical team and God, with my parents, my fiancée and my agent, my heart full of love, I want to THANK YOU ALL. Thank you for worrying about me, for every message, for keeping me in your prayers, for making me feel so supported. This is something that my family and I will never forget!
âMy return to the field begins today. Thanks to you, I feel more motivated than ever. So, with the strength Iâve always had and all this beautiful energy that you all give to me, I tell you that I will return, and I will return even stronger to continue giving my best every day. I LOVE U ALLâ¤ï¸â
Oswaldo Cabrera Injury Comes at Unfortunate Time
For most people, not just ballplayers, it would be difficult to take this positive an approach during such horrific circumstances. Cabrera, a valuable bench piece and versatile defender in his four seasons with the New York Yankees, finally broke through after winning the starting third base job this spring.
Cabrera was off to a fine start at the plate, batting .243 with a .631 OPS and an 81 OPS+, but it is his magnetic personality and team-first sacrifices that make him special. Now, with an imminent transfer to the 60-day injured list, Cabreraâs potential breakout campaign has been put on hold.
Beyond the emotional blow of losing Cabrera, it leaves the Yankees with an even bigger predicament at third than they had already faced. Can Oswald Peraza, a young player and fine defender, find his groove at the plate? Does D.J. LeMahieu, the steely veteran, take over the hot corner once Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns to second base?
Despite the grim outlook, perhaps Cabreraâs injury has a unifying effect on the team. Perhaps seeing one of their most cheerful teammates react so optimistically teaches them about perspective and eases the tension of a 162-game schedule.
Perhaps not. But Cabreraâs message is yet another example of why Aaron Judge views him as a âbrother.â
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