Cabrera was a less-than-adequate hitter for the Yankees in 2008. His fielding and strong throwing arm in center field could not make up for his poor batting average. In early August, Yankee manager Joe Girardi demoted him to fourth outfielder, making Damon the everyday center fielder again. On August 15, 2008, Cabrera was demoted to Triple-A's Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, but recalled him on September 5. Playing 129 games in 2008, Cabrera finished with a .249 batting average, 8 home runs, and 37 RBI.