The World Series is over for Texas Rangers stars Adolis García and Max Scherzer.
MLB announced Tuesday night before Game 4 that it had approved roster substitutions for both players who sustained injuries in Game 3 on Monday. Neither is eligible to play again in the series.
Infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran and relief pitcher Brock Burke will take their place on the roster.
MLB announced the news shortly after the Rangers announced that Adolis García was not in the lineup for Game 4 after he strained his left oblique in Game 3. Rangers general manager Chris Young confirmed the moves while telling reporters that each injury would require a stint on the injured list if sustained during the regular season.
“He went down to the cage and gave it a go,” Young said of García. “It was very clear he was in pain. It’s not something that’s gonna get any better over the next five to seven days.”
As for Scherzer, Young lamented not having the three-time Cy Young winner available for a potential Game 7.
“We certainly would love to have him out there in a Game 7 situation,” Young said. “Unfortunately that’s not going to be the case.
Manager Bruce Bochy addressed the injuries earlier Tuesday as the team contemplated the roster moves.
“They’re not easy decisions,” Bochy said. “Look at the two players we’re talking about.”
The news is a significant setback for the Rangers, who hold a 2-1 series lead. García’s absence is cause for more immediate concern, while Scherzer wasn’t scheduled to pitch again until a potential Game 7. The Rangers have counted on García’s bat, arm and leadership throughout the postseason, while Scherzer is a decorated postseason veteran with a World Series ring.
“I hurt for these guys personally, because I know how much they mean to our club,” Young said.
Travis Jankowski will take García’s place in right field for Game 4. Jankowski, 32, slashed .263/.357/.689 with one home run and 30 RBI in limited action during the regular season. He has one hit in two plate appearances in the postseason.
García’s injury
García left Game 3 in the eighth inning Monday due to tightness in his left side. He clutched his side in apparent pain immediately after swinging on a flyout to deep center field.
The out ended the half-inning, and García didn’t return to his defensive position in right. The Rangers won the game 3-1 to take a 2-1 series lead.
A two-time All-Star, García has been the Rangers’ best player during a historic postseason run. He earned ALCS MVP honors after hitting at least one home run in four consecutive games as the Rangers beat the Houston Astros in seven. García hit five home runs total in the series, including two in the Game 7 clincher. He finished the series with 15 RBI, an MLB record for a single postseason series.
He followed that by hitting a walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Game 1 of the World Series to secure a 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks.
He was held hitless in Games 2 and 3 while drawing a walk in each game. But with his bat quiet, he still made a significant impact on Game 3, with an outfield assist to throw out Christian Walker at the plate in the second inning.
The out was the first of the inning and thwarted a potential scoring outburst from the Diamondbacks, who would’ve had a man on second with a run scored and no outs had García’s throw missed the mark. Instead, Max Scherzer recorded two consecutive outs after the play at the plate, and Arizona came away from the inning scoreless.
García was slashing .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs and 22 RBI in 15 playoff games, which is now his final postseason line.
Scherzer pitched three scoreless innings in a Game 3 before leaving with his back injury. He warmed up prior to Game 4 before the decision to pull him from the game for reliever Jon Gray. The Rangers traded for Scherzer midseason to bolster their playoff hopes. He’s helped get them this far, but won’t pitch again this postseason.
Yahoo Sports’ Hannah Keyser contributed reporting to this story.
