Rangers select contract of outfielder Joey Butler, recall outfielder Engel Beltre

Anaheim, Calif. - The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has selected the contract of outfielder Joey Butler from Triple-A Round Rock and recalled outfielder Engel Beltre from Round Rock. To make room on the active roster, the club has designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment.

Butler, 27, will be looking to make his major league debut in tonight's series opener with the Angels in Anaheim. He has batted .290 (101-348) with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, and 44 RBI over 97 games with Round Rock. The Mississippi native owns the highest on-base percentage (.375) on the Express, while ranking among the club leaders in walks (2nd, 45), average (2nd), hits (T2nd, 101), runs (3rd, 54), doubles (4th, 21), and RBI (4th, 44). The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Butler is batting .321 (35-109) against left-handed pitching, with 6 of his 10 home runs against southpaws.

Butler has hit safely in 7 of his last 10 games with the Express, posting 2 home runs, 4 RBI, and 5 walks. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training for the first time this March, appearing in 15 "A" games. Butler has been a mid-season All-Star in the Pacific Coast League each of the last two seasons and was named a PCL Postseason All-Star following the 2011 campaign. He was originally selected in the 15th round of the 2008 June draft out of the University of New Orleans and signed by Randy Taylor. Butler is a career .291 (748-2575) hitter over six seasons in the minor leagues with the Texas organization.

Beltre will be in his second stint with the Rangers after he was optioned to Round Rock on Friday. He hit safely in both games with the Express over the weekend (3-for-8). Beltre batted .300 (9-30) with 2 RBI in 13 games/8 starts for Texas during his first stint in the major leagues from June 23-August 1. He started 5 games in center and 3 games in left during his first stint.

Rosales was received on a waiver claim from the Athletics on Friday, but did not appear during the club's 3-game weekend series in Oakland. The Rangers have 10 days to trade, release, or outright Rosales to the minor leagues. He batted .193 (26-135) with 5 doubles, 4 homers and 8 RBI in 50 games/34 starts with Oakland in 2013.

With all of today's transactions, the Rangers now have 39 players on the club's 40-man roster.