The Yankees placed third baseman Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list with a throat infection and called up utility man Oswaldo Cabrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday.
“I had a sore throat and infection,” McMahon said. “It’s called peritonsillar abscess. I had that removed today and … [was] told I shouldn’t do activity for 72 hours. The team decided to go IL, and that’s where we’re at.
“I feel so much better right now. But there’s more infection risk with an open wound in there [from the draining procedure].”
McMahon last played on Sunday, and his IL stint was backdated to Monday. The earliest we could see him back in New York's lineup is July 3 -- he'll be eligible for activation the day before, but that's a scheduled off-day for the Yankees.
He said the infection began June 15, “but it was nothing like it was the last four or five days,” adding that it had been “manageable” until Sunday. McMahon said that whether he travels with the team to Boston for the upcoming four-game series or returns to New York hadn’t been determined two hours before Wednesday’s game in Detroit at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it was a relief knowing McMahon is recovering “and feeling a lot better” since the draining procedure at 7:30 a.m.
“I know the last couple days were rough for him,” said Boone.
The Yankees already have three other hitters from their Opening Day starting lineup serving IL stints, with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham all sidelined. Opening Day starting pitcher Max Fried is also on the IL.
“Obviously,” said Boone, “we have some guys down right now. We’ll see. Everyone can play, and we’ll just play it day by day.”
Boone started Amed Rosario at third in McMahon’s place on Monday before going with José Caballero Tuesday and Wednesday.
Acquired from the Rockies prior to the 2025 Trade Deadline, McMahon has posted a .210/.269/.360 slash line with eight homers over 69 games this season and owns a .635 OPS in a Yankees uniform.
With McMahon out, the Yankees could give Rosario most of the starts at the hot corner. Cabrera, who hasn’t played in the Majors since he fractured his left ankle last May and had to undergo surgery, could also be a factor.
Asked why Cabrera was the choice for the callup, Boone said, “He’s playing well, and we really feel he’s gotten better each month. Obviously, coming off the injury he had last year, it’s just a long layoff. And he’s kind of worked his way back into the mix here.”
The 27-year-old Cabrera has played all over the diamond in his four big league seasons -- all with the Yankees -- but he’s made more starts at third base than any other position. He’s a career .234/.295/.346 hitter with 20 home runs over 302 games in the Majors and had a .727 OPS in Triple-A this season.
Boone added that it has been “exciting” to see how Cabrera was hitting from the right side of the batter’s box in the Minors. The switch-hitter is hitting .238 against righties and .220 against lefties for his career.
He’s also known as a human ray of sunshine.
“Oswaldo Cabrera, man, that’s as good as it gets,” said Boone. “What he brings every single day from just a human being, teammate, friend, competitor ... you know he’s great.
“I’ve always said that Oswaldo with a glove on can play almost anywhere. He just lives his life with a certain joy that’s infectious, and he handled a rough time with grace and class.”