Cause of the illness that put Yankees’ Ryan McMahon on the injured list uncovered

Ryan McMahon’s Health Complication Influences Yankees Roster

DETROIT — Ryan McMahon’s recent health struggle has turned out to be more serious than just an ear and throat infection.

The Yankees third baseman was placed on the disabled list Wednesday after being diagnosed with a peritonsillar abscess and undergoing a drainage procedure early in the morning. This gave him some much-needed relief following several days of intense pain.

Initially, it seemed like he had an ear infection, then it progressed to a throat infection. Ultimately, doctors found the abscess, which required him to rest for 72 hours after the draining. This situation has resulted in a 10-day stint on the injured list.

“It’s really hurting and I’m getting a migraine,” McMahon remarked Wednesday at Comerica Park prior to the Yankees’ 4-2 victory against the Tigers. “I couldn’t eat and had a hard time opening my jaw.”

McMahon mentioned that he wasn’t contagious but had felt unwell since the previous Monday. He managed to cope for a while, but by Sunday, his condition had deteriorated. After traveling to Detroit with the team, he reported feeling a bit of pain on Monday, but his symptoms worsened significantly after that.

“I actually feel a lot better right now than I’ve felt the last three or four days,” McMahon stated. “But obviously there’s more risk because it’s an open wound. … After this 72 hours, I should be able to do everything.”

Since McMahon last played Sunday, the Yankees backdated his disabled list stint to Monday, making him eligible for activation next Thursday. In the meantime, Oswaldo Cabrera has been called up from Triple-A to fill his roster spot.

Manager Aaron Boone explained, “The doctors say they definitely want to do that. We were going to be out for a few days, so going back two days made the most sense.”

Jose Caballero started at third base in McMahon’s absence but Boone indicated that Amed Rosario might also see time at third base in the upcoming games against a left-handed pitcher.

Max Schumann made his third career start in center field on Wednesday, contributing to the Yankees’ success. He pulled off a diving catch in the bottom of the sixth inning and followed it with a sliding grab in right-center.

Ryan Weathers, who had not pitched in a month, did not give up any home runs and held the Tigers to just two runs (one earned), along with six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Despite allowing hard contact, he managed to make clutch pitches, aided by defenders like Schumann.

“I felt glad that I was able to stop using hard contact,” Weathers remarked. “That gets through to people. It was a really good lineup. It was certainly difficult today.”

In a separate incident, Jose Caballero seemed to experience some discomfort after swinging in the top of the seventh inning. After some attention from trainers and Boone, he remained in the game.