Update: 3/20, 5:50 p.m. MT
Rockies manager Bud Black said that David Dahl is still 10 days away from baseball activity per Nick Groke. If Dahl is finally cleared to resume baseball activities in 10 days, that would be right at the end of spring training. Unfortunately, this means that he will have to start the season on the disabled list and probably stay in extended spring training to get up to game speed. At this point the last week of April will probably be the soonest Dahl would be ready for MLB action.
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David Dahl is not ready to start hitting after a consultation on Monday, according to a report by Nick Groke. Dahl was feeling good enough on Friday for the team to order an MRI for him, and we’ve been waiting for the results since. Unfortunately, these are not the results that everyone was hoping for.
Other than keeping his legs in shape, the Rockies have restricted the rest of Dahl’s activities in order to help facilitate a complete healing of the stress reaction on his sixth rib that has caused him to miss almost all of spring training. Dahl hasn’t felt any pain from the rib for the last week and a half, and the hope was that he would be cleared for full baseball activities after the MRI.
Dahl was scratched from a start Feb. 27 and was only expected to miss a few days with a sore back. That initial diagnosis was extended to a few weeks before the next diagnosis of a stress reaction in his rib put Dahl’s return before the end of spring training in doubt.
With exactly two weeks left until Opening Day, Dahl won’t have enough time to get ready for the start of the season and the best case scenario was for him to be ready a week or two into the season. That doesn’t seem very likely now as the waiting game for him to be cleared continues.
Gerardo Parra, who has looked locked in at the plate this spring, is set to be the Rockies Opening Day left fielder. Parra struggled in his first year with the Rockies last year, especially after injuring his ankle in June. This spring he’s hit .371/.421/.486 and will hopefully be able to contribute in a similar manner once the season starts.