NEW YORK — Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera announced in an Instagram post after midnight Thursday that he had just surgery on his fractured left ankle, the procedure was successful and his “return to the field begins today.”
Manager Aaron Boone shared more news in his media session before Friday night’s Subway Series opener:
The surgery revealed ligament damage.
Boone added that it’s “probably unlikely” Cabrera plays again this season, but nothing will be for certain around a “week to 10 days (post-surgery) when we get the doctors protocols and then the ramp up.”
Here’s an expert opinion on what Cabrera is facing from NYU Langone Health sports orthopedic Spencer Stein.
“The ligament tear shouldn’t add much to the repair,” Stein said. “It’s four-to six weeks to weight bearing, three months to jogging and training. Six months or so return to sports, but that can be variable.”
Cabrera was injured when he tripped near home plate while scoring a run in the ninth inning of last Monday night’s game in Seattle.
Here is part of what Cabrera posted to Instagram:
“After 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 wouldn’t give in to more bad thoughts. When I woke up, one of the first things I did was grab my phone. I didn’t have hundreds, I had THOUSANDS of messages from my family, friends, fans, agents, coaches, teammates… I simply had messages from EVERYONE.
“My return to the field begins today. Thanks to you, I feel more motivated than ever. So, with the strength I’ve 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 ALL”