Texas Rangers purchase contract of 1B Kyle Blanks from Round Rock

Arlington, Texas - The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has purchased the contract of first baseman Kyle Blanks (#88) from Triple-A Round Rock. The team has also placed first baseman/designated hitter Mitch Moreland on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Tuesday, for left elbow surgery. To make room for Blanks on the 40-man roster, the team has designated outfielder Alex Hassan for assignment.

Blanks, 28, will be in uniform and available for tonight's series finale against Seattle, seeking his first major league action of the season as well as his Texas debut. Blanks has spent the season at Round Rock, batting .327 (17-52) with 3 home runs, 7 doubles, and 11 RBI in 16 games. He has a .436 average (17-39) since opening the season 0-for-13. He batted .235 (4-17) with 2 RBI in 9 games with Texas this spring before he was assigned to Round Rock on March 23.

Blanks has seen major league action in each of the last 6 seasons, posting a career .234 average with 30 home runs and 105 RBI over 260 games for San Diego (2009-14) and Oakland (2014). His last big league game came with the A's on June 22, 2014 vs. Boston. Blanks' uniform number 88 would match Rene Gonzales (1996) for highest regular season number in team history.

Moreland has batted .304 with one home run and 9 RBI in 16 games for Texas this season. The first date he would be eligible to return from the disabled list is May 13.

Hassan (pronounced HASS-in) was received on a waiver claim from the Oakland Athletics and optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on April 9. He has batted .267 (16-60) with 5 doubles, no home runs, and 8 RBI in 16 games with the Express this season. The Rangers have 10 days to trade, release, or outright Hassan to the minor leagues.

With today's moves, the Rangers major league roster remains at the 40-man limit.