Sampson signed by Rangers

Rays beat Rangers 8-3

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers signed right-handed pitcher Adrian Sampson from Triple-A Nashville, the club announced Monday.

The 27-year-old spent all of spring training with Texas before his Triple-A assignment. Sampson went 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA (4 ER/15.2 IP) and 1.085 WHIP over six games with two starts. Opposing batters were held to .224 batting average and a .596 OPS with four walks and 13 strikeouts.

Rangers beat Dodgers spring training
For more information, visit http://www.smithmankins.com

To make room for Sampson on the active roster, the Rangers optioned lefty Kyle Bird to Nashville, and to accommodate Sampson on the 40-man roster, transferred southpaw Yohander Mendez from the 10-day to 60-day injured list.

Bird had two relief appearances in the season-opening three-game series with the Chicago Cubs, posting 1.0 scoreless innings over those appearances. Mendez was diagnosed with a grade one sprain of his UCL in his left elbow after leaving a start versus Arizona on March 17. Mendez was not scheduled to throw for six weeks after the injury.

The Rangers’ roster remains at the 40-man limit on the major league roster, along with three players on the 60-day injured list: Mendez, RHP Luke Farrell, and OF Scott Heineman.