Yankees Return to Oswaldo Cabrera at First Base for Game 3 of ALDS Against Royals
The New York Yankees are reverting to Oswaldo Cabrera at first base for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, the team confirmed. Cabrera, a versatile utility player, will take over from Jon Berti, who started Game 2 in his MLB debut at first base.
Berti performed admirably in Game 2, notably turning an unassisted double play in the sixth inning. Despite this, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has decided to return to Cabrera, favoring his experience and better matchup against right-handed pitching. Cabrera hit .268 with a .729 OPS against righties this season, while the Royals’ starter for Game 3, Seth Lugo, is a right-hander.
Boone has been forced to juggle first base options due to injuries to regular starters Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu. Rizzo is sidelined with fractured fingers, while LeMahieu remains out with a hip injury. Ben Rice, a rookie on New York’s ALDS roster, has yet to make an appearance in the series.
In Game 1, Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a double and three strikeouts, while Berti managed a single in four at-bats during Game 2.
The Yankees’ lineup for Wednesday’s critical Game 3 remains mostly unchanged, with Cabrera as the only adjustment. The game is set to start at 7:08 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.
Yankees Game 3 Lineup:
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
- Juan Soto, RF
- Aaron Judge, CF
- Austin Wells, C
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Oswaldo Cabrera, 1B
- Alex Verdugo, LF
SP: Clark Schmidt, RHP
