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

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DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 20: David Dahl #26 of the Colorado Rockies watches his RBI single during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on September 20, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

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.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 7: David Dahl #26 of the Colorado Rockies hits a double in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 7, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Bart Young/Getty Images) /

Make no mistake about it … Dahl’s first swings on Thursday still have him a long ways off from actually being able to play baseball. However, the 23-year-old Dahl is highly motivated to make his return to the Majors. Read his quotes and you know he is itching to return.

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Flash back to the spring of 2017 and remember that Dahl was expected to compete with Gerardo Parra (who was coming off a horrid 2016 season) for the starting spot in left field. Now, Dahl will just be competing to make the Opening Day roster. And that may be tough considering Parra, Charlie Blackmon and Desmond could be your Opening Day outfield starters if the Rockies use Ryan McMahon at first base as has been reported.

Raimel Tapia should also figure heavily into the outfield mix in 2018 and it’s possible that the Rockies will still acquire another bat before the offseason ends. That could change things completely as well.

So where does that leave Dahl? It leaves him needing to make an impression on manager Bud Black who, remember, has yet to see him play in an actual game in person. Black reminded the Denver media of that in these comments from August. Black has a familiarity with all of the outfielders above and what they can do in certain situations. Dahl is still a mystery to him.

Dahl absolutely has the talent to impress Black and make the roster. We know that from his rookie season where he tied a Major League record with a 17-game hitting streak to begin his career. However, it’s going to take more than talent to be ready for Opening Day.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 23: David Dahl #26 of the Colorado Rockies poses for a portrait during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 23, 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /

As Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports, Dahl will progress from a simple swing to hitting off a tee and then soft-toss hitting. If all goes well, he would be on schedule to take normal swings in a spring training game. That is, if everything goes according to plan and there isn’t a setback.

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If Colorado opens the season with 13 pitchers and 12 position players on its Opening Day roster, that would likely mean two catchers, five infielders and five outfielders. Right now, those outfielders would certainly include Desmond, Blackmon and Parra. The other two spots are where the competition lies between Tapia, Dahl and likely Mike Tauchman, who made his MLB debut last season.

If Dahl stays healthy and can impress Black, he and Tapia likely grab the last two spots. If his swing doesn’t come around as quickly, he likely starts the year at Triple-A and works his way into the mix later in the month or no later than Memorial Day.

Baseball Reference predicts Dahl to get 204 at-bats in 2018 with eight home runs and 26 RBI. Those are by no means full season numbers, meaning the site could well be prognosticating Dahl to be on the outside looking in on Opening Day.

Next: 18 Rockies things we are looking forward to in 2018

The Rockies need another bat in the lineup and Dahl could well be that bat. However, a lot of things have to fall into place (health, competition and hitting to start) for that to be the case when the Rockies step onto Chase Field for Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 29.

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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.

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