Yankees bring back every fan's favorite as Ryan McMahon injury worsens

As if the vibes weren't already high enough in the clubhouse as the last strains of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" played Tuesday night, joyous reinforcements are on the way for the Yankees in Wednesday's finale.

After battling back from an impossibly gruesome injury last season, Oswaldo Cabrera has been elevated from Triple-A to take the roster spot of Ryan McMahon, who appears to have a developing situation on his hands.

Ryan McMahon mystery injury paves path back to Yankees for Oswaldo Cabrera

McMahon's situation is a strange one. His ear/throat infection was initially reported on Tuesday afternoon, and was likely the reason behind Aaron Boone's midday backtrack on Anthony Volpe's status. Volpe wasn't supposed to be in the lineup against the righty Casey Mize, according to Boone on Talkin' Yanks, but by the time first pitch rolled around, the lightning rod shortstop was penciled in (so McMahon could heal).

Thankfully, Volpe delivered ... again ... knocking two hits as he upped his average to .278 (truly workable!). What initially seemed like a one-day setback for McMahon appears to have sapped more strength than we anticipated, though, and the Yankees will promote an erstwhile utility option in his place in Cabrera.

Though the fan favorite started slow this season (again, horrifically turned ankle and a year away from baseball ... he deserved patience and an on-ramp), he's gotten his Triple-A numbers back to completely serviceable territory. On the year, he's hitting .271 with seven homers and 35 batted in, posting an OPS of .727. In June, he's on an absolute heater, peaking at the right time by hitting .395 with a .562 slugging percentage.

Presumably, this elevation will make him a go-to defensive replacement across the board, as well as a starter on days featuring bad matchups for Amed Rosario. Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe will continue to split short, with Caballero shifting between third and the outfield at the mercy of management. The Yankees will face left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early this week in Boston after leaving a Tarik Skubal showdown in Detroit. It wouldn't have been McMahon's week anyhow, and we'll see if swapping him out for Cabrera changes the calculus a little. At the very least, it's certainly an additional infusion of fantastic vibes.

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