Usually, when a manager visits a pitcher mid-game, it's not good news. But for Carter Baumler on Monday night, it was a different story. Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker visited Baumler on the mound during an exhibition game against the Kansas City Royals to inform him he had made the major league roster for opening day.
Baumler entered the game in the fifth inning, striking out one batter without allowing a run. When Schumaker appeared on the mound, Baumler was surprised. "I was just caught off guard and didn’t know what was going to happen," Baumler said after the game. "And then he told me that and it was just a really cool moment."
Baumler, initially picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 Draft, was traded to the Rangers in the offseason. The Rangers had to keep him on the roster for the entire season if they wanted him on opening day.
Baumler has yet to make his major league debut. Originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round in 2020, he spent time in their farm system before moving around teams following the 2025 season.