CLEVELAND -- For the second time this season, Chris Paddack made his debut for a new team against the Guardians.
Luckily for the Rangers, this one went a bit better than the first time.
On Monday, the Rangers signed Paddack to a Major League contract and added him to their active roster for their game against the Guardians. He allowed two runs in four innings in bulk relief in Texas’ 6-3 win at Progressive Field.
Paddack’s wild journey started on June 22 when he was designated for assignment by the Reds and elected free agency.
Paddack was sitting with his family when he got a call from his agent letting him know that the Rangers were interested in signing him and having him pitch on Monday.
“Now, here we are,” Paddack said postgame.
The Rangers, in the midst of playing 15 games in 15 days, wasted no time adding him as an insurance option. While his start against the Guardians won’t go down as one of the greatest pitching performances in Rangers history, it was just what the team needed.
“It’s another opportunity for me. For me, this one meant a little more having ‘Texas’ across my chest,” said Paddack, a native of Austin, Texas.
Along with his stint in Cincinnati, the 30-year-old right-hander also spent time with the Marlins this season. After his outing on Monday, he now has a 6.79 ERA across 14 appearances (nine starts), spanning 57 innings.
Paddack had to work through a truncated game plan after arriving in Cleveland a little after midnight Monday morning, but he was able to rely on a familiar face in Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who was a first-base coach with the Padres when Paddack made his MLB debut in 2019.
That familiarity pushed Paddack to throw his curveball 24 times (35% usage), which was much higher than the 27% usage rate he had entering Monday.
“He came in here with the pitching coaches and listened to the game plan and followed it as much as he could,” Schumaker said. “I know the pitching staff pushed [the changeup] but the pitcher has to throw it.”
Paddack’s signing was one of necessity, as the Rangers lost some key rotation depth last week when Jack Leiter underwent right ankle surgery.
That injury opened up an opportunity for the Rangers to give everyone a break, and Paddack was vital to that plan.
The fruits of that plan came on Sunday (before Paddack was even on the roster) when Kumar Rocker threw six scoreless innings. Schumaker believes it was aided by him having an extra day of rest.
“I’ve been pushing our starters a lot lately, so giving them an extra day [is nice],” Schumaker said. “All our starters have really stepped up, and giving them an extra day could help continue that momentum.”
Paddack signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Marlins in the offseason, but made just seven starts before being designated for assignment after posting a 7.63 ERA.
He then signed a big league deal with the Reds, making his team debut on May 16, allowing two runs in five innings against the Guardians at Progressive Field.
Paddack started just two more games for Cincinnati before being shifted to the bullpen and eventually designated for assignment.
“That’s what we sign up for,” Paddack said. “It’s one of those things that no one really knows that happens behind the scenes. You get a phone call and you’re on a flight and have to pack quickly and make sure the body and mind are ready to go.”
While Paddack doesn’t know how long his stint is going to be with his home state team, Monday’s outing was a self-described “dream come true” for a pitcher who has become the closest thing to a modern day baseball nomad.
“I don’t know what the timetable looks like," Paddack said, "but I’m going to stay present and live it up and try to help this team win.”