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The New York Yankees‘ clubhouse was in a gloomy mood following Oswaldo Cabrera’s season-ending injury against the Seattle Mariners on May 12. The utility player suffered a fractured left ankle sliding into home plate, and an ambulance took him off the field.

After spending some time away from the team, Cabrera has re-emerged in New York’s dugout throughout the last few weeks. He’s done minimal baseball activity besides some jogging and taking grounders. Despite the injury, his spirits remain high, and he’s looking forward to retaking the field in 2026.

Cabrera joined the YES Network’s broadcast booth for a conversation with Michael Kay and O’Neill during the second inning of last night’s game against the Chicago White Sox. He is the Yankees’ unofficial cheerleader near the end of the dugout.

Oswaldo Cabrera’s New Teammate Created “The Hot Corner”

During his discussion with Kay and O’Neill, Cabrera said that mid-season acquisition Amed Rosario is the creator of “The Hot Corner,” an area of the Yankees’ dugout where the bench players can celebrate their teammates’ success on the field. Due to Cabrera’s injury, he is the only permanent member of the new tradition.

“It’s not fun being on my side because I feel like I can’t do anything for the team inside the field,” Cabrera told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “But I have the opportunity to pick my guys up in the dugout. That’s everything that matters to me right now is to try to pick my guys up and to get the vibes up.”

Kirschner recognized Cabrera as one of the driving factors as to why New York’s bond in the clubhouse is as strong as ever.

“Cabrera is the soul of the Yankees. His smile is permanent, and his energy is infectious. He sustained a gruesome left ankle fracture on May 12, but never once did his positivity waver,” wrote Kirschner about Cabrera’s impact off the field. “Before he got clearance from the Yankees’ medical staff to walk again, he would roll into the clubhouse on a scooter, greeting everyone in his path.”

When the 26-year-old went down, the Yankees missed his versatility on defense. Cabrera was also a key component of the bench squad, considering manager Aaron Boone could sub him in pretty much anywhere on the field besides catcher.

What’s Next for Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera?

This year, Cabrera played 34 games before his gruesome ankle fracture, hitting .243/.322/.308 with a .631 OPS in 122 plate appearances.

He’s yet to have a breakout offensive season, but may continue to be a spark off the bench for a Yankees team that has plenty of sluggers. New York’s addition of Jose Caballero was necessary because of Anthony Volpe’s struggles and the absence of Cabrera, and the shortstop/third baseman is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Caballero, who helped the Yankees clinch a postseason berth with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday against the White Sox, does not reach free agency until 2030. Ryan McMahon, the Yankees’ new starting third baseman, is under contract for two more seasons after 2025.

Maybe Cabrera’s playing time takes a hit next season because of Caballero and McMahon, or maybe Boone finds a creative way to write his name in the lineup consistently. If you asked Cabrera, he would probably say he wants whatever is best for the team.

Conor Liguori is a sports journalist covering the MLB for Heavy Sports. Conor has covered professional baseball leagues like the KBO, NPB, CPBL, and the LBPRC in Puerto Rico. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. More about Conor Liguori