By Jordan Long
The Colorado Rockies are well into spring training. Outfielder David Dahl will be out for weeks. The Rockies originally thought that Dahl was out with back soreness and return in a few days. The injury is a stress reaction in his ribcage and he will be reevaluated in two weeks. According to ESPN, Rockies Manager Bud Black said, “Extended [absence] is, to me, like months this is not. Baseball activity hopefully will start in a couple weeks. … I do anticipate him getting into a game here. If not, then it doesn’t happen.”
This is a major injury for Dahl. He was competing to win the starting job in left field against Gerardo Parra. Dahl appeared in two games this spring and had 4 at bats but didn’t have a single hit. Parra on the other hand is hitting .353 with 1 home run and 5 RBI’S.
This injury hurts Dahl’s chances of earning the starting position. The Rockies know what they have in him since he played last year. Dahl appeared in 63 games and hit .315 with 7 home runs and 24 RBI’s. In the outfield he made 2 errors and had 4 outfield assists.
This injury gives Gerardo Parra the left field job for now. The Rockies have to hope that Dahl is healthy enough to start the regular season. He is a respectable back-up outfielder. He can hit and move runners into scoring position. In the outfield he rarely drops the ball and throws runners out trying to advance.
The worst-case scenario for Dahl is to start the year in Triple A in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This would give him time to play since he is going to miss most of spring training. Once the Rockies feel he is ready, they can call Dahl up to the Majors.
The Rockies have plenty of options for Dahl. Right now he must rest and get healthy. He is one of their top young players. Hopefully, Dahl will be able to play with the Rockies this season. Time will only tell.
What should the Colorado Rockies do with David Dahl
Leave a Reply