Carlos Mendoza devastated by his former Yankees charge Oswaldo Cabreras grisly injury

When Carlos Mendoza saw the injury, he was “devastated.” The Mets manager got to know and work alongside Yankees utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera after he signed with the team out of Venezuela, rose through the minors then finally earned a spot in the majors starting in 2022.But then Mendoza, the former Yankees bench coach, watched Cabrera fracture his left ankle while sliding into home plate during the ninth inning Monday, forcing him to leave the field via an ambulance with his left leg in an air cast. “Watching him going down like that is just, it’s hard,” Mendoza said before the Mets and Pirates continued their series at Citi Field on Tuesday.

“This is a guy that, all his life, he had to fight.I know he’ll be fighting and he’ll be back on the field.” Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday following the injury, logged 167 games in the regular season and playoffs with Mendoza in the Yankees dugout before he left to become Mets manager following the 2023 season. In the aftermath of the gruesome scene at T-Mobile Park, the emotional toll on the Yankees — and Cabrera’s beloved impact on their clubhouse — was evident.

Outfielder Trent Grisham appeared to wipe away a tear during an on-field interview postgame.Manager Aaron Boone described Cabrera as the “best of them.” Aaron Judge said everyone on the Yankees felt terrible after the game. And in Queens, Mendoza was impacted by the injury, too. “Wishing him a speedy recovery, a complete recovery and I know he’ll be back,” Mendoza said....