Yankees Place Ryan McMahon on IL With Absurd Throat Infection as Roster Depletion Continues

The New York Yankees' injured list is officially out of control. We have moved past standard baseball ailments like pulled hamstrings and dead arms, and we are now losing guys to medieval plagues.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, third baseman Ryan McMahon has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a severe throat infection. And not just a scratchy throat that requires some tea and a day off. McMahon had to get a peritonsillar abscess drained, which sounds like something you catch on the Oregon Trail, not during a recent series win over the Baltimore Orioles.

"McMahon stated he had a peritonsillar abscess removed and was told not to do activity for 72 hours."

To fill the void, the Yankees called up utility man Oswaldo Cabrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Cabrera has not played in the majors since fracturing his ankle last May, which perfectly sums up the current state of the Bronx. You are either currently injured, recovering from a massive injury, or waiting for your turn to get hurt.

To be fair, McMahon was not exactly setting the world on fire before his tonsils revolted. Since the Yankees acquired him from the Colorado Rockies at the 2025 trade deadline, he has posted a brutal .210 batting average and a .635 OPS over 69 games this season. For context, that is the kind of offensive production that usually gets you benched, not a guaranteed starting spot.

But the Yankees do not have the luxury of benching anyone right now. McMahon joins a crowded waiting room that already includes Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, and Max Fried. When your injured list could comfortably beat your active roster in a seven-game series, you have a serious problem.

Anyone looking at the betting lines for the upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays needs to factor in this patchwork lineup. Manager Aaron Boone is going to be mixing and matching Cabrera, Amed Rosario, and José Caballero at the hot corner just to survive the week.

McMahon is eligible to return in early July, assuming the open wound in his throat heals up without further incident. Until then, the Yankees just have to hope nobody else catches the bubonic plague before the All-Star break.