DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have recalled outfielders David Dahl and Noel Cuevas from Triple-A Albuquerque and placed outfielder Carlos González on the 10-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Mike Tauchman to Albuquerque.
Dahl will see his first big league action since 2016 after missing the 2017 season with a rib injury.
“It feels great,” Dahl said of his return. “It hasn’t really sunk in again yet, probably when I get out on the field.”
With the Rockies in 2016, Dahl hit .315/.359/.500 with seven home runs in 63 games. He missed some time at the start of the Triple-A season with the stomach flu, and 6-for-26 with a pair of doubles for the Isotopes before his promotion.
Despite being limited with the stomach flu, Dahl said he feels that is is in a good place offensively and defensively as he re-joins the Rockies.
“I feel good,” Dahl said. “I feel like my at bats have been good, the result in Tacoma (site of the Isotopes’ recent road series) wasn’t there, but the ball doesn’t carry there.”
Rockies manager Bud Black said he liked what he saw from Dahl in Spring Training this season, and that he expects Dahl to be ready to contribute at the big league level.
“The expectation for (Dahl) is for him to play his game,” Black said. “That is usually a quality at bat, good defense, there’s a run tool in there, there’s a power tool in there and let’s see how it develops.”
Cuevas, who will make his big league debut today, is a 26-year-old who came to the Rockies in 2014 as a player to be named later from the Dodgers in exchange for pitcher Juan Nicasio. He hit .312/.353/.487 with 15 home runs at Albuquerque in 2017 and was added to the Rockies’ 40-man roster at the end of the season.
“He got off to a good start early in the year,” Black said of Cuevas. “Good reports from Glenallen Hill and our coaches down there (in Albuquerque).”
Importantly, Cuevas is a right-handed hitter in a Rockies outfield that has been clogged with left-handers early in the season, which Black said played a role in his promotion.
“The right-handed bat right now helps us with Charlie in the outfield hitting left handed, with Dahl now hitting left handed, I just felt it balances us out a little bit better,” Black said.
Notes
- The need for outfielders for the Rockies comes in part because Gerardo Parra has dropped the appeal of his four-game suspension, which he will begin serving today. He will be eligible to return Friday in Miami.
- The Rockies have also rescinded the option they used on starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman, choosing instead to keep him on the disabled list and continue his rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque.