MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers have promoted first base prospect Justin Smoak (pictured right) from Triple-A Oklahoma City and demoted struggling first baseman Chris Davis in a corresponding move.
Smoak will take over starting first base duties for the Rangers and could hang onto the gig for a long while if he performs as expected. The 23-year-old was off to a superb start at Triple-A this year, with a .326/.500/.587 batting line and two home runs over 62 plate appearances. He has serious, serious upside and Rangers fans have been clamoring for his promotion for at least the last two weeks.
Davis, 24, had been batting just .188 with a 556 OPS in 48 at-bats. He may need to find another organization in order to continue his major league career, but will first need to prove his worth with a nice stretch of production for Oklahoma City.
