Rangers hopeful this slugger can return to form in pivotal Astros series

While the Texas Rangers missed a golden opportunity to surge into a playoff spot this week, there's still a very real chance to make noise over the weekend. And if they do, they'll need Adolis Garcia to find the form that he used to have.

Of course, to do that, Garcia will need to find a way to get healthy. He's missed the last few games due to a quad injury he suffered on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team hasn't put him on the IL, hoping that he can come back and play.

Will Adolis García return for the Texas Rangers’ critical series vs. Astros?

The Texas Rangers could really use García when they start a series on Friday against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. With a day off on Thursday, the hope is that García could be healthy enough to play.

The Rangers know his history against the Astros, and, even though the slugger has been diagnosed with a grade two strain, he could pull a Kirk Gibson and pinch-hit in a key situation. This season, García has had a rough go of it against the Astros. He is slashing .222/.276/.481 with two home runs and three RBI. He's struggled for the most part, with a slash of .235/.277/.408 with 18 home runs and 73 RBI.

However, over the course of his career, Garcia slashed .264/.312/.475 against the Astros with 15 home runs and 45 RBI. If he can regain his standard form, he could be a real thorn in their side.

If the Texas Rangers can take two of three, or even somehow sweep the Astros, the playoff race will be pretty different heading towards the end of the month.