Colorado Rockies: Could David Dahl make the Opening Day roster?

Today (Thursday) is a big day for the Colorado Rockies and for outfielder David Dahl, who is scheduled to swing a bat for the first time since July 31.

According to an article in The Denver Post, Dahl will start his comeback on Thursday from a stress reaction injury to a rib that first reared its ugly head last March during spring training. Thursday’s swings at the Rockies spring training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., will mark the first time that Dahl has swung a bat since he last played for Triple-A Albuquerque on the last day of July.

Dahl hasn’t been in a Rockies uniform since October 2, 2016, when he went 1-for-5 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field. That single allowed him to extend his season-ending hitting streak to seven games, part of an impressive rookie campaign where he hit .315 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 222 at-bats.

Rockies fans were salivating over what Dahl would bring to the table for a full season in 2017 … until the rib injury occurred. Interestingly, Dahl’s injury started a necessary shift in Colorado’s defense that would see Ian Desmond spending more time in left field than first base, the position he signed a large, multi-year contract to play. It also opened the door for more playing time for Gerardo Parra, who had a bounceback campaign in his second year with the Rockies.

However, that was then … and this is now. Today, let’s look at the possibilities of Dahl making the active roster in 2017 and what effects it could have on the team’s success and personnel.