Suns' Bledsoe to return Tuesday following birth of his son

The Phoenix Suns could've used Eric Bledsoe on Sunday night, as they suffered yet another gut-punch defeat at the hands of the Sacramento Kings.

But Bledsoe had better places to be; specifically, in a hospital, awaiting the birth of his son. 

Now a proud father, Bledsoe is ready to return to the Suns, and is expected to be back in the lineup Tuesday night when they take on the Houston Rockets. 

Prior to missing Sunday's contest, Bledsoe had started every game for the Suns, a rarity given his checkered injury history. The 52 games he's appeared in this season have already eclipsed last season's total of 43. 

He's also leading the team in scoring (16.9), assists (5.9) and steals (1.7), and ranks second to Isaiah Thomas with a 19.4 PER.