Max Scherzer couldn't get out of bed when he woke up on Sunday morning.

The pain in his neck and right trapezius muscle was so intense that his wife, Erica, had to help him get dressed.

That led to Scherzer being scratched from his scheduled start in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night.

"I'm as disappointed as I possibly can be not to be able to pitch tonight," Scherzer said. "It's Game 5 of the World Series. I've pitched through so much crap in my career that that would be easy to pitch through at this point. This is literally impossible to do anything with."

Joe Ross started in Scherzer's placed.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced that starter Max Scherzer was scratched from his Game 5 start against the Houston Astros because of spasms in his upper right trapezoid.

Righty Joe Ross will take Scherzer's place and will face Astros ace Gerrit Cole. The Nationals and Astros enter Sunday night's game tied at two games apiece.

"He's really upset about this," Martinez said, adding that the normally animated Scherzer was "very quiet."

Freddie Freeman played through an elbow injury late in the season and underwent surgery to fix the issue last Wednesday.

Freeman's right elbow joint was cleaned out during the procedure and he's expected to be ready for spring training with the Atlanta Braves.

Carlos Martinez underwent a "small procedure" on his troublesome right shoulder after the season.

The treatment involved a platelet-rich plasma injection. 

The St. Louis Cardinals don't expect Martinez to miss any significant time.

The pitcher has been bothered by shoulder issues in each of the last two seasons.

Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly said he expects to be ready for the World Series after right-knee discomfort forced him from Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday.

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was left out of the Yankees' starting lineup for Game 2 of the American League Champion Series against the Houston Astros after suffering a right quad strain in his team's Game 1 win.

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters the injury occurred during Stanton's second-inning infield hit, in his first at-bat of Saturday night's series opener. He remained in the game and later homered.

Boone said he underwent an MRI, which revealed the strain, but remains an option to pinch hit Sunday.

The New York Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins on Monday night, but took a hit in the process.

Aroldis Chapman was seen with his pitching hand wrapped up after the game.

"I was just celebrating and everyone was jumping around," Chapman said through an interpreter. "I got hit with a bottle, but it's fine."

Brian Cashman said he noticed the closer's hand when he fist-bumped the closer.

"He had a huge smile on his face, so I think that was a good sign,'" the GM said.

The Yankees will begin the ALCS on Saturday.

The New York Yankees have punched their ticket to the ALCS and may have another pitcher ready for the series.

CC Sabathia was left off New York's ALDS roster because of a nagging shoulder injury, but he's hoping to return against either the Houston Astros or Tampa Bay Rays.

"I feel pretty good. It's just up to them. So, we'll wait and see how I bounce back. I'll throw the bullpen and, like I said, go from there," Sabathia said.

The left-hander will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. The ALCS won't begin until Saturday.