WATCH: Texas Rangers Manager Surprises Pitcher Mid-Game by Telling Him He Made the Opening Day Roster

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Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker surprised his pitcher with a mound visit to tell him he made the team’s opening day roster on Monday.

In the fifth inning of Monday’s spring training game against the Kansas City Royals, the Rangers led 2-0 with pitcher Carter Baumler on the mound. Just seven pitches into Baumler’s outing, Schumaker walked out of the dugout for a mound visit. As Baumler was surrounded by his teammates and manager, he began to smile after appearing to receive some good news. Schumaker then returned to the dugout, and play resumed shortly after.

Once his day was done, Baumler confirmed in an interview that Schumaker told him he made the opening day roster.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” the 24-year-old said. “I was like, ‘Why is he coming out here?’ He got on the mound and told me I made the team. So, yeah, pretty cool.”

Baumler initially assumed he was getting taken out of the game. When Schumaker delivered the news, he was caught “totally off-guard.” His teammates then congratulated him before returning to their places on the field.

The Rangers acquired Baumler in a trade this past offseason. He was initially selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2020 MLB Draft; and after spending several seasons in the team’s Minor League system, Baumler was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 Draft.

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