ARLINGTON — Behind him in the locker room, a freshly printed jersey with No. 52 hung, his name was on the active roster and on Saturday night he might pitch for the second time in the major leagues.
Okay. Actually, it is. Give Walter Pennington a moment to gather his thoughts and acclimate to his surroundings.
“Yeah,” Pennington said Saturday inside the Texas Rangers clubhouse at Globe Life Field, “I don’t know where I am.”
Let’s summarize.
Pennington, a left-handed pitcher, woke up Monday morning in St. Paul, Minnesota, with plans to fly to Rochester, New York, as part of a two-week road series with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate. A call from Omaha Storm Chasers manager Mike Gierschele interrupted those plans.
“He said, ‘I have bad news for you. You’ve been traded,'” said Pennington, who was acquired by the Rangers in exchange for right-hander Michael Lorenzen. “Yeah, well, here we go.”
Pennington certainly has been there and everywhere. He flew directly from St. Paul to Omaha to pack his bags on Monday, then flew to Texas for a series against the Sugar Land Texas Cowboys at Triple-A Round Rock. He made his debut on Thursday, pitching 1 2/3 no-hitter innings out of the bullpen, then was promoted to the major leagues for the second time on Friday after the Rangers placed right-hander Max Scherzer on the 15-day disabled list with a strained shoulder.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to go to Rochester,” Pennington said.
RELATED: Five things to know about Walter Pennington, acquired by the Texas Rangers at the MLB trade deadline
Instead, it’s the major leagues. Pennington, who signed with the Royals as an undrafted free agent out of the Colorado School of Mines in 2020, spent four seasons with the Kansas City organization and successfully worked his way through five minor league levels before making his MLB debut on July 5 at Coors Field against his hometown Colorado Rockies.
“This is a dream come true,” said the pitcher from Broomfield, Colorado, who pitched 2/3 scoreless innings in his major league debut. “It’s always been my dream to make it to the major leagues. Making my debut in Colorado was special, but to get another opportunity here is unbelievable. I’m very grateful.”
Pennington, ranked the Rangers’ 20th best prospect by Baseball America in its organizational rankings released on Friday, has pitched almost exclusively in relief at the Triple-A level this season with a 2.20 ERA in 61 1/3 innings. He has struck out 81 batters and walked just 21, throwing three fastballs (four-seam, two-seam and cutter) and a slider in the low 80s. He has held batters to a career-best .178 batting average this season and has been particularly tough against left-handed hitters, who have hit just .151 against him.
“(He’s) a left-handed pitcher with good control, a good fastball and a good slider,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said, adding that Pennington will be available to pitch in relief for Texas on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. “I’m looking forward to watching him pitch.”
Pennington may just be hoping for signs of stability.
Because now, right?
“I wake up in the morning and I don’t know where I am,” he said with a laugh.
Related: Texas Rangers’ recent slump leaves starting rotation in disarray
Twitter: @McFarland_Shawn
See more Rangers coverage from the Dallas Morning News here:
Click or tap here to sign up for our Rangers newsletter.