St. Paul – It took nearly five years for the St. Paul Saints to have a matchup with a Pacific Coast League team. The Round Rock Express' visit to town during this last homestand changed that, marking it their first matchup against a PCL team in franchise history.
There were a couple of familiar faces on the Round Rock roster for the series: Michael Helman and Caleb Boushley. Helman only played in the first three games of the series before the Texas Rangers called him back up to their active roster, after Evan Carter went down for the season with a right wrist fracture. Boushley was sent back down to Round Rock after the Rangers activated Jacob Webb from the IL. Ultimately, the Saints split the series with their old teammates.
As great as it was for the Saints players and coaches to catch up with their old friends, they wanted to take the series against Helman and Boushley.
“It’s good to see Mikey,” said Saints manager Toby Gardenhire.
“He’s one of my favorites, so I talked to him quite a bit. So coming in, we were talking to him. ‘Me and [saints clubhouse manager Matt] Tramp, we were on the golf course yesterday (Monday, August 18) and FaceTiming with him. I told him we were going to hit him with the first pitch, but we didn’t do it.”
The Saints didn’t brush Helman’s chin in his return to CHS Field. Meanwhile, he hit a home run off Connor Prielipp in his second at-bat on Tuesday, giving St. Paul’s latest call-up a competitive welcome to Triple-A.
“We love Helman, glad he got one,” Saints catcher Patrick Winkel said after Helman took Prielipp deep. “Let’s hope he doesn’t get another the rest of the week. But yeah, he put a good swing on a good pitch too. I mean that ball wasn’t a strike, and for him to hit it there, sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap to him.”
However, Helman hit another home run, going 3-for-14 with the two homers and three RBI, before the Rangers called him back up to the big league club. It was a bittersweet moment for the man who played 195 games, hit 34 home runs, and 118 RBI in a Saints uniform before the Minnesota Twins called him up late last season.
Unfortunately, Zone Coverage was unable to talk with Helman before the Rangers recalled him. Still, we were able to speak with Caleb Boushley when he joined the Round Rock Express in St. Paul.
Boushley only had a couple of stints with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023 and the Twins last season. He was the workhorse in the Saints' rotation last season, making 26 starts and pitching a team-leading 134 ⅓ innings. This year, he’s pitched the most he’s ever had in the majors with the Rangers, working as a bulk man in their bullpen, pitching 39 ⅔ innings over 21 outings.
He’s frequently traveled up and down I-35 in the Texas area between Arlington and Round Rock after the Rangers used all five of his options this season. Still, Boushley has gotten used to that in his career, and he’s soaking up every minute in the majors.
“Anytime you get a chance to put on a big league uniform, regardless of the circumstance, it’s awesome,” said Boushley. “So very thankful. Had a good camp with the Rangers and was able to add a couple of ticks on my fastball this off-season, and I put myself into a good spot to contribute at some point this year. It’s just been fun, it’s been a lot of fun, and I’m very thankful.”
Boushley has never been a hard thrower. Still, his fastball averaged 91.3 MPH in 2024, and he’s increased it to 92 MPH on average this season. That has helped him to stay on the 40-man roster, who can be a go-to long relief man whenever he’s needed. The Rangers already used him in that role during the first of their two 16-run victories over the Twins in early June, and the role has helped him learn a lot about himself.
“The old adage of it’s one thing to get there, and then another thing to stay there, it’s true,” said Boushley. “You’ve got to show up to work there every day, and if you let your guard down, you’re going to get punched in the mouth most likely. That’s been the biggest learning point for me. Is the grind of showing up every day and being ready to go.”
Every day he’s been in the majors has been a treat, especially when the team has future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy at the helm and longtime pitching coach Mike Maddux as their instructor.
“He’s a great guy, and he’s seen quite literally everything you can see in this game at the highest level, many times,” said Boushley. “It’s great with him and Mike Maddux, the pitching coach; those guys have been around forever. To kind of pick their brains, just be a student because if they’re going to talk, it’s normally something you should hang onto.”
While he was only back for a quick weekend, it was nice for Boushley to be closer to Wisconsin. He grew up near Appleton and went to college at UW-La Crosse. The Saints were thrilled to catch up with him, but when it came down to it, game time, Boushley competed against them on Sunday, pitching 2 ⅔ innings of one-run baseball against his old team.
The Saints would have definitely liked to have run back the series against Round Rock after they went 1-5 against their first PCL opponent. But even during the tough losses, they were at least able to catch up with old teammates who meant a lot to their clubhouse over the previous three seasons.
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