The Texas Rangers will have to try to close out their first championship down two star players.
Outfielder Adolis García and starting pitcher Max Scherzer have been removed from the Texas' 2023 World Series roster due to injury, the club announced on Tuesday. They were replaced by infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran and left-handed pitcher Brock Burke.
The Rangers now won't have García or Scherzer at their disposal for the remainder of the Fall Classic. Texas, seeking its first World Series title, holds a 2-1 series lead over Arizona entering Tuesday's Game 4 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
“They’ve worked their entire lives to be on this stage and be in this moment and they’ve both suffered injuries that are going to take them out of that," Rangers general manager Chris Young said. ”I have great empathy for them in terms of that."
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García and Scherzer both exited Texas' Game 3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Scherzer's start was limited to three innings by back tightness, while García suffered an oblique strain on a swing in the eighth inning.
García was in the midst of a spectacular postseason, hitting .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs. He earned ALCS MVP honors after homering three times and driving in nine runs over the final two games as Texas overcame a 3-2 series deficit. He then hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning of the World Series opener.
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“Adolis did everything he could today," Young said. ”He came in, was the first guy in today. He got as much treatment as possible. He went down to the cage and gave it a go, and it was very clear he was in pain. It’s not something that’s going to get any better over the next five to seven days. I think it would be a more significant timeline if this were the regular season. Made the decision pretty easy."
Travis Jankowski drew into Texas' lineup for Game 4, replacing García in right field. Jankowski, 32, hit .263/.357/.352 with one homer and 30 RBIs over 247 at-bats in the regular season.
“Travis has had a really nice year for us in his role,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Got pressed into a starting role there for a while when we had our injuries and really picked us up when we needed it. Solid all around. Smart player. Good defender. Speed. He’s a guy that can handle the bat. He can bunt. He does a good job putting the ball in play.”
Scherzer, who made his return in the ALCS from a shoulder strain, failed to go beyond four innings in each of his three playoff starts. He gave up two hits and two walks over three scoreless innings before exiting Game 3.
“(Scherzer) received a full day of treatment and there was no progress,” Young said. “Our medical team has extreme concern in term of his ability to recover over the next few days.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
