Rangers Call Up Justin Smoak, Demote Chris Davis

Originally Published: Apr 23, 2010 9:19 AM CDT

Dave Carty
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

Fresh off a 3-6 road trip where the Boston Red Sox nearly handed them a series sweep, the Texas Rangers are heading home for 21 of their next 30 games.

But the team decided a long homestand wasn’t enough to cleanse its April struggles.

Instead, the Rangers reached into its deep farm system and plucked its ripest prospect, calling up 23-year-old first baseman Justin Smoak.

Widely considered one of Major League Baseball’s top minor league prospects, the switch-hitting first baseman began the year hitting .300, scoring 10 runs in 15 games with the Oklahoma City RedHawks – the Rangers’ AAA affiliate.

Texas demoted Chris Davis to Oklahoma City to make room for Smoak, which will likely mean immediate playing time for the rookie.

After last season, Baseball America rated Smoak the No. 12 prospect in baseball and he’s drawn comparisons to both Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira.