Rangers lose hero Adolis Garcia, Max Scherzer for rest of World Series roster due to Game 3 injuries

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The Texas Rangers won't have outfielder Aroldis García and right-hander Max Scherzer for the remainder of the World Series after they both suffered injuries in Game 3. 

Garcia is dealing with a "moderate oblique strain," according to manager Bruce Bochy, which he tweaked in the Rangers' Game 3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. Because of that, García wasn’t in the starting lineup for the Rangers.

While Bochy said that García would be evaluated, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that he was walking through the clubhouse with a bat and said "all is good." That changed, however, when the Rangers said that he is being taken off the roster with utilityman Ezequiel Duran reportedly taking his place.

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Max Scherzer #31 of the Texas Rangers walks off the field after leaving the game due to injury in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game Three of the World Series at Chase Field on October 30, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Travis Jankowski replaced García in the lineup, as he will play in right field. Mitch Garver also moved up the lineup to the No. 3 spot where García has exclusively been. Evan Carter will hit fourth and Josh Jung will hit fifth. 

RANGES' ADOLIS GARCIA BLASTS WALK-OFF HOME RUN IN 11TH TO COMPLETE COMEBACK IN GAME 1 OF WORLD SERIES

Scherzer, who left his Game 3 start early with back spasms two innings after taking a comebacker off his lower back, is also shut down for the rest of this series. Right-handed reliever Brock Burke will take his spot on the roster. 

García left Monday night’s game in the eighth inning after flying out. He was in pain once he made the swing, and he was immediately taken out of the game by Bochy for further evaluation. The initial diagnosis was left-side tightness before Bochy’s comments on his oblique.

García has had a historic run in October, hitting .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs in 15 games for Texas.

Adolis García of the Texas Rangers, left, walks off the field in the eighth inning during Game 3 of the World Series at Chase Field on October 30, 2023, in Phoenix. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

García was named the ALCS MVP after smashing three homers in a six at-bat stretch to lead Texas over the Houston Astros in Games 6 and 7. His flair for the dramatic also came out in Game 1 of the World Series as he hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning after Corey Seager’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth forced extra innings.

That home run gave Garcia 22 RBI for an MLB postseason record, breaking St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese’s previous record during the 2011 playoffs, where the Rangers fell in the World Series. 

The Rangers, now up 2-1 in the series after beating the Diamondbacks on Monday night, 3-1, are taking García’s absence from the lineup in stride. It’s a next-man-up mentality. 

"Whoever slots into his spot in the lineup is going to do a great job; whoever plays right field will do a great job," Nathaniel Lowe told ESPN. "It's nothing new to us."

Adolis García of the Texas Rangers looks on prior to Game 3 of the World Series at Chase Field, October 30, 2023, in Phoenix. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Scherzer struggled when he returned to the mound in the ALCS after dealing with a separate injury. But he pitched well on Monday night, allowing just two hits and no runs over three innings of work before he shook his head while throwing warmup pitches before the bottom of the fourth inning. 

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First pitch is set for Game 4 at 8:03 p.m. ET on FOX with the Rangers giving the ball to Andrew Heaney and the D-Backs going with Joe Mantiply to start.