Outfielder David Dahl has yet to step foot on the baseball diamond for the Colorado Rockies this season. Sidelined during Spring Training with a stress fracture in his ribs, Dahl has been in recovery all year, but a course of action has taken shape to get him back on the field.
After months of waiting for his ribs to heal properly, Dahl finally started his way on the road to recovery by beginning his rehab assignment. Dahl made his return to the lineup Wednesday with High-A Lancaster.
Since then he has been promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, and will likely spend a decent amount of time there prior to a return, according to Manager Bud Black.
“He’s got a long way to go,” Black said ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the New York Mets. “It’s good to see that he’s playing. [It’s the] middle of July and he’s playing finally. It’s a good thing for us, good thing for David. He’s a good young player.”
Dahl will require a lot of repetition to “get going,” Black added, both at the plate and in the field before making the jump up back to the majors.
The Rockies could use Dahl’s bat back in the lineup in a big way. Colorado has dropped 14 of their last 19 ballgames and is in dire need of a spark, something Dahl could provide upon his return.
In 63 games played last season for the Rockies, Dahl hit .315 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
