ARLINGTON, Texas — A Texas Rangers rookie received the best news of spring during a mound visit on Monday -- he will be on the team’s Opening Day roster.

Right-handed reliever Carter Baumler was cruising along in the fifth inning at Globe Life Field, retiring the first two hitters on ground balls on only seven pitches. So why was manager Skip Schumaker coming to the mound? The rookie had yet to face the minimum three batters, so he was perplexed, The Dallas Morning News reported.

But Schumaker’s message was short and to the point -- you’ve made the team.

“Somebody said, ‘I wish I got a picture of you when the manager came out.’” Baumler said. “It caught me off guard. Then he came out and said ‘Congrats you made the team.’ And it was a really cool moment. It’s something I’ll never forget.

“I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game,” Baumler said during an in-game television interview on the Rangers Sports Network, according to ESPN. “Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you’re usually done.”

Schumaker told reporters after the game that he was looking for the right time to break the news. And what better opportunity than while Baumler was on the mound, with his family in Iowa watching the telecast of the game.

“There is only one time you get told you are on a major league roster for the first time and you want to make it as memorable as you can for that guy,” Schumaker said. “I was thinking of a way to make it as special a moment as I could. Wanted him to enjoy it with his teammates on the mound. I wanted him to take in the moment on the mound. And then he punched the next guy out and that was pretty cool.”

The Rangers traded for Baumler during the offseason. The Baltimore Orioles had drafted him in 2020, but he was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the Rule 5 draft at December’s winter meetings, ESPN reported. He was traded to the Rangers the same day.

The Rule 5 deal meant that the ,Rangers had to keep the pitcher on the roster all season long, but Baumler was apparently unaware of the implications of the transaction.

Texas catcher Danny Jansen patted his catcher’s mitt on Baumler’s chest, and the Rangers infielders offered their congratulations, ESPN reported.

Regaining his composure, Baumler struck out Isaac Collins to end the inning.

“I feel like I kind of locked back in pretty quick,” Baumler said. “It definitely was exciting.”

Baumler has had a productive spring for the Rangers, throwing 9 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out 10 batters, MLB.com reported.

Baumler had pitched only seven innings above Class A baseball when the Rangers acquired him in December, the Morning News reported.

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