The Rangers have removed both outfielder Adolis García and starting pitcher Max Scherzer from their World Series roster. The two have been replaced by utilityman Ezequiel Durán and reliever Brock Burke.
Both players were injured in the Rangers’ Game 3 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday. Scherzer departed before the fourth inning with back spasms; García left in the eighth with left side tightness. Texas entered Tuesday up two games to one over Arizona. But losing García and Scherzer represents a massive blow to the path ahead.
“I hurt for those guys personally because I know how much they mean to our club, how hard they've worked to be in this situation,” said Rangers general manager Chris Young. “And then now it's gone for them.”
García had been having a historic October. He set the record for most RBI in a single postseason with 22, delivering home run after home run, including a walk-off in Game 1. Scherzer, meanwhile, was acquired at the deadline in large part for his playoff experience and what he could provide down the stretch. The veteran was sidelined by injury for much of September and early October but made his return in the ALCS.
Young said there was not much of a discussion to be had about potentially keeping either player on the roster. “Adolis did everything he could today,” the executive 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.” He described Scherzer’s situation similarly, saying that there had been no progress today and that the medical team showed “extreme concern” that the pitcher might be able to recover before the end of the series.
To lose García is to lose a power hitter who has looked all but irreplaceable. To lose Scherzer is to lose an experienced arm from a pitching staff that has already been taxed by injuries. It leaves the Rangers with just two real starters, Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery, though there are several converted starters in the ‘pen who could be counted on to give some length. Texas had already planned to approach Game 4 as a bullpen game. They will now need to figure out if that is a strategy they would have to use later in the series, too.
Duran can play all over the infield and has logged innings in left and right field as well. The 24-year-old played in 122 games this year and posted a 106 OPS+. He last appeared in a game on Sept. 29, but he has been traveling with the team and taking batting practice throughout the playoffs.
“Zeke is great,” Young said. “He's been great in the live BPs. He's really kept himself in great shape and he's prepared. Again, he filled in very admirably throughout the year when we've had other injuries. And Zeke's a winning player and he's going to help us.”
Burke was on the Rangers’ roster for the ALDS and pitched in Game 2 against the Orioles, but has not played since. Though he’s capable of providing some length—roughly half of his appearances this year lasted multiple innings—he finished the season with shorter relief stints and has not recorded more than three outs since Aug. 22.
