Injury Updates on Max Scherzer, Adolis García After Texas Rangers Stars Exit World Series Game 3

Texas Rangers ace Max Scherzer exited Game 3 of the World Series with lower back tightness, while outfielder Adolis García suffered an oblique injury.

The Texas Rangers may have picked up a key win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night, but they might have suffered major losses to both their lineup and rotation in the process.

Starting pitcher Max Scherzer left Game 3 of the World Series with lower back tightness, coming off the mound after just 3.0 innings. Right fielder Adolis García got pulled five innings later, suffering a left oblique injury while flying out to center in the eighth.

Scherzer faced just 11 batters and did not allow a run, setting the table for a near-perfect showing by the Rangers' bullpen. Texas was up 3-0 when García got subbed out for Travis Jankowski, and they went on to win 3-1.

Adolis Garcia is coming out of the game after grabbing his oblique after this swing, per @Buster_ESPN pic.twitter.com/wF0n6VFiUt

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 31, 2023

Manager Bruce Bochy shared updates on Scherzer and García after the game, highlighting multiple issues that Scherzer is facing at the moment. The three-time World Series champion skipper did not have much new information on his three-time Cy Young, however.

"Max took a pretty good shot on the elbow, that's what we were concerned about," Bochy said. "But it was his low back that tightened up on him. He just couldn't go anymore."

The Rangers were initially planning on starting Jon Gray in Game 4 on Tuesday, but he tossed 3.0 innings of relief on Monday after Scherzer came out. Once Bochy pivots on his next starting pitcher, the impact of Scherzer's potential injury will come into focus.

Scherzer suffered a shoulder injury in September that kept him off the mound until the ALCS. He now boasts a 6.52 ERA in 9.2 innings through three starts this postseason.

García, meanwhile, has been an anchor in the Rangers' lineup all playoffs long. Even after going 0-for-3 on Monday, he is still batting .323 with eight home runs, 22 RBI and an 1.108 OPS in October.

Bochy was similarly mum on García's status, kicking the can down the road until Tuesday. 

"We're being optimistic there," Bochy said. "But we'll know more tomorrow."

García won ALCS MVP and has already broken the record for RBI in a single postseason.

Game 4 is scheduled to begin at 8:03 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Lineups will be announced several hours earlier, and García's availability will likely become more clear by then.

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