SURPRISE, Ariz. -- How does a 23-year-old prospect make an impression on a new manager without even appearing in a Cactus League game before being optioned?
One Rangers prospect did just that.
Right-hander Winston Santos -- the Rangers' No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline following the 2025 season -- took a line drive comebacker off the bat of Kyle Higashioka in live batting practice on Feb. 17. The ball hit off his glove hand, and he completed his “inning.” He was seen wearing a brace the following day and on Feb. 21, manager Skip Schumaker announced that Santos had a left-hand fracture.
“Probably the highlight of my day was watching Santos with how he came back after that comebacker with Wyatt [Langford] and Corey [Seager] up next,” Schumaker said. “He could have very easily walked off the mound and said 'I'm good.' Instead, he wanted to finish what he started. I'm telling you, a lot of guys, veteran guys, would have walked off the mound. He's a tough kid. It's all I heard about when I came here last year. This guy's got some dog and some fight in him. The first live [batting practice] I watched in real life was just that. So yeah, it was the highlight.”
On Monday, Santos was optioned back to Double-A Frisco with the intent of getting healthy and building back up for the Minor League season.
Because the fracture is on his glove hand, Santos has been able to play catch and long toss with somebody else catching for him. There’s no definite timeline at the moment, but he should be off the mound before the end of camp.
Schumaker said it wouldn’t be too far into the season before he makes an appearance with a Rangers affiliate, whether that be Frisco or Triple-A Round Rock.
Just two years ago, Santos was one of the Rangers’ most exciting up and coming pitching prospects. He was a breakout starter in 2024, when he boasted a 3.67 ERA between High-A Hickory and Frisco, leading the Rangers' farm system in wins (11) and strikeouts (138) in 110 1/3 innings.
But he missed much of 2025 due to a stress reaction in his back, ultimately pitching just 17 1/3 innings between Frisco and Round Rock.
Schumaker fully expects Santos to contribute to the big league club at some point in 2026 and beyond.
“Santos [needs to] get healthy to be an option,” Schumaker said. “But again, the reality is that I saw a different side of him which I ended up growing to really love. He finished an outing after a broken hand against Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager. That kind of shows you who he is. A lot of guys are going to walk off. You saw the fight, the dog that he possesses inside. That's the stuff that I can't teach. Those are the guys that you want on the mound during a season. Those are the guys that you want to fight with. There’s lots of upside. Hopefully we see [him] at some point during the season.”