PHOENIX — Adolis Garcia has been this postseason’s MVP, but now the Rangers have to wonder if their star right fielder will continue playing in the World Series.
After hitting a fly to center that ended Monday’s top of the eighth inning Garcia departed with what the team called left side tightness.
Garcia was scheduled to receive further evaluation after the Rangers’ 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the World Series.
“We’re being optimistic there, but we’ll know more [Tuesday],” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.
Former Mets outfielder Travis Jankowski replaced Garcia in right for the bottom of the eighth.
Garcia, whose walk-off homer in the 11th inning on Friday won Game 1 for the Rangers, has established a MLB single-season record with 22 RBIs this postseason.
His early departure came on a night the Rangers watched Max Scherzer depart after three scoreless innings with back spasms.
Adolis Garcia exited with left side tightness after an at-bat in the eighth inning. APBoth teams will go with bullpen games on Tuesday.
The Rangers are scheduled to start left-hander Andrew Heaney and the Diamondbacks will deploy lefty Joe Mantiply.
With the weather cooperating — temperatures in Phoenix were in the 70s throughout the day — the roof at Chase Field was opened for the game.
The Diamondbacks play the vast majority of their home games with the roof closed, due to the extreme heat.
“I know some have said when it’s open the ball carries a little bit more,” D’backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “As long as we know the landscape when we walk into the ballpark and nothing changes and no fast punches being thrown, whether we’re at home or on the road, I’m fine with it.”
The Rangers set a major league record with their ninth straight victory to begin a postseason, breaking their tie with the 1996 Yankees.
The only other team to win eight straight road games in a single postseason was the 2019 Nationals.
The Rangers now share the record with the Yankees (1996-97) and (1937-42) with nine consecutive postseason road victories overall.
Hall of Famer Randy Johnson threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Luis Gonzalez.
Both former players starred for the Diamondbacks’ last World Series-winning team in 2001 and had their numbers retired by the organization.
Monday was the first World Series game at Chase Field since 2001’s dramatic Game 7, in which the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees on Gonzalez’s walk-off single against Mariano Rivera.
