Rangers’ Adolis García, Max Scherzer off 2023 World Series Roster with Injuries
The Texas Rangers announced that starting pitcher Max Scherzer and right fielder Adolis García have been removed from the World Series roster due to injuries. They have been replaced by left-handed relief pitcher Brock Burke and infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran, respectively.
Those moves are now official, and Scherzer and García’s Fall Classics are over.
On Monday, Scherzer started Game 3, which resulted in a 3-1 Rangers win to put Texas up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Unfortunately, he left after three shutout innings due to back spasms.
The Rangers had already omitted García from the Game 4 starting lineup before Bochy’s announcement. Travis Jankowski will play right field in his place.
Texas notably bumped Evan Carter down to cleanup and moved Mitch Garver up to the No. 3 spot. Garver notably did damage there during the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles, hitting a grand slam in Game 2 en route to an 11-8 win.
Losing García is a devastating blow for the Rangers. García has hit eight home runs alongside a single-season playoff record 22 RBI in the postseason. He notably hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11th inning in Game 1 to give Texas a 6-5 victory.
Scherzer is a tough loss as well, considering that he would have been in line to start Game 7 should the series go that far.
As Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted, the Rangers have dealt with injuries all year, with the most notable one being a torn right UCL for ace Jacob deGrom, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery.
However, García and Scherzer are big losses, especially with the Diamondbacks being in position to potentially tie the series up at two games apiece.
As far as the replacements go, Jankowski hit .263 with one homer and 30 RBI this season. His speed (19 stolen bases) and defense are notable assets for Texas as it tries to put the series away.
Duran brings some pop to the table, hitting 14 home runs with 46 RBI and a .768 OPS in 122 games this season.
The left-handed Burke served as a reliever. In 53 appearances, he went 5-3 with a 4.37 ERA.
If the series goes to seven games, right-hander Jon Gray figures to be the top option. Gray has been moved to the bullpen for the playoffs but was a starter during the season, going 9-8 with a 4.12 ERA (1.29 WHIP) and 142 strikeouts in 157.1 innings (29 starts).
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