ARLINGTON, Texas -- The mound visit Carter Baumler received from Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wasn't to take the rookie right-hander out of his last spring training game, but rather to let him know he made the Opening Day roster.
Schumaker came out of the dugout after Baumler retired the first two Kansas City Royals batters in the fifth inning Monday night. Texas catcher Danny Jansen and all four infielders were also on the mound when the new Rangers manager told the 24-year-old reliever he will start the season in the Texas bullpen.
"I wasn't expecting it. I was like, why is he coming out here? And he got on the mound and told me I made the team," Baumler said during an in-game TV interview on the Rangers Sports Network. "I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game. ... Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you're usually done."
Jansen patted his catcher's mitt on Baumler's chest, and the infielders offered their congratulations. Baumler, looking to make his major league debut after never pitching above Double-A, had a big smile on his face but composed himself to strike out Isaac Collins swinging on a 96.8 mph fastball to end the inning.
In his eight spring training games, Baumler allowed one earned run and struck out 10 over 9⅓ innings.
Baumler hugged Schumaker when he got back to the dugout after the third out, then was greeted with high fives from teammates.
Baumler was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round of the 2020 amateur draft out of high school in Iowa and had Tommy John surgery soon after that. He pitched in the Orioles organization from 2022 to 2025 but was left off their 40-man roster last fall.
He was scooped up by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December and traded to Texas the same day.
"A few years ago I never would have expected this," Baumler said. "Looking back ... I'm glad I kept my head down and kept hammering away."
