Rangers’ Kinsler Goes On Paternity Leave

Arlington, Texas – The Texas Rangers today announced prior to tonight’s game that the club has placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the Major League Paternity Leave List, effective today. To take his place on the active roster, the club has recalled infielder Chris Davis (#19) from Triple-A Round Rock. Davis is in the starting lineup for tonight’s series finale against Detroit in Arlington.

Kinsler’s wife, Tess, gave birth to the couple’s second child and first son, Jack Jamisson Kinsler, at 1:43 p.m. CDT today. The baby weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. A player can be on the Paternity Leave List for a maximum of 3 days, meaning Kinsler would return to the active roster on or before Saturday’s game at Minnesota.

Kinsler joins Colby Lewis (April 15-17) as Rangers to be placed on the new Paternity Leave List in 2011.

Davis, 25, will be in his second stint with the Rangers this season, the other coming April 13-May 22. He has batted .250 (12-48) with 3 homers and 4 RBI in 20 games/13 starts for Texas this season. He has spent the rest of the campaign at Round Rock (AAA), where he has hit .370 (27-73) with 9 home runs and 29 RBI in 18 games for the Express, posting a .400 on-base figure and .849 slugging percentage for a 1.249 OPS. He has gone 8-for-16 his last 4 games with Round Rock, posting 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 RBI in those contests. Davis is averaging a home run every 8.1 at-bats and an RBI every 2.5 at-bats at the Triple-A level this season.