The Texas Rangers find themselves in the World Series despite star pitcher Jacob deGrom being shut down to have Tommy John surgery this summer.

Despite not being able to help his team on the field, Max Scherzer thinks deGrom has still been a great teammate, according to Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports.

Scherzer elaborated, “He’s been an A+ teammate. You wouldn’t know it. He has the biggest smile on his face. He’s with the guys, grinding as hard as he can, and that’s infectious… You can definitely feel his presence within this clubhouse.”

DeGrom has long been one of the most tantalizing players in baseball. He has arguably the best stuff in Major League Baseball but has struggled to stay healthy over the course of 162 games. It has to be frustrating to watch your team reach the ultimate stage without you.

Scherzer also addressed that frustration, telling Thosar “Guys who are not in the spotlight. Guys who are struggling or going through the hard times. He’s the guy that’s going through the hard times right now.”

Scherzer is dealing with an injury of his own, though it's not nearly as serious as deGrom's, dealing with a cut on his thumb. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has named Nathan Eovaldi the team's starting pitcher for game 1.

When healthy, Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are possibly the best 1-2 starting pitchers in MLB. Even without deGrom active, the Rangers are the favorites to claim their first World Series championship in franchise history.

Game 1 is Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.