Yankees make official Oswaldo Cabrera roster move, expedite veteran's looming return

UPDATE: DJ LeMahieu did not end up getting the start for the Yankees on Tuesday night against the Mariners, despite previous speculation that he would.

The last heartbreaking 15 hours featured New York Yankees fans sending their best to Oswaldo Cabrera, who suffered a gruesome leg injury on Monday night that is expected to knock him out until 2026. The roster will have to make do without him.

And the Yankees have made their decision. Cabrera was moved to the injured list and DJ LeMahieu was activated. The embattled veteran is expected to get the start on Tuesday night as well, after Aaron Boone told reporters before the series opener that LeMahieu would make his season debut on Wednesday. Things changed rather quickly.

Jorbit Vivas filled in for Cabrera in the ninth inning on Monday after he went down, but fans know he won't be the full-time solution. There will still be some sort of platoon at third base, and it's likely LeMahieu will now lead the way with Vivas and Peraza getting reps.

LeMahieu's rehab assignment hit a couple of snags. First, he was laid up again after receiving a cortisone injection in his hip, and then a rain delay last week halted his progress. But across his nine games with Double- and Triple-A, LeMahieu hit .444 with a 1.093 OPS while logging reps at second and third base.

Yankees News: DJ LeMahieu activated after Oswaldo Cabrera heads to IL

Truthfully, Cabrera's injury saved somebody's roster spot, whether it was Vivas', Peraza's or Pablo Reyes'. Everybody lives to see another day. With that said, LeMahieu will be under a major microscope now that he's back in action for the first time since early September of last year.

The former batting champ registered -1.6 WAR in just 67 games and hasn't appeared in a postseason game since 2020. He hasn't been the same for the last five seasons, and the Yankees have had no choice but to live with it. All he has is a utility Gold Glove to his name since then, which was accompanied by underwhelming offense and incessant injuries.

If he can at least keep the line moving with solid defense and a halfway decent bat, the Yankees likely won't miss a beat. But it's hard to say fans won't be worried about LeMahieu at every turn given how unreliable he's been ever since signing that six-year, $90 million extension.