DENVER (AP) Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl was upset about his latest injury, but also grateful it wasn’t more severe.
”Glad it’s just a high ankle sprain,” the All-Star said Saturday. ”They can take a while if you don’t let it heal. I’ll do whatever I can to let it heal and get back.”
An MRI confirmed the right ankle injury, which occurred during the sixth inning of Friday night’s win over the San Francisco Giants. Manager Bud Black did not have a timeline for Dahl’s return but said he could be out several weeks.
Colorado placed Dahl on the 10-day injured list and recalled outfielder Yonathan Daza from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.
Dahl was hurt when he slightly overran a knuckling flyball from Scooter Gennett. He planted his feet to stop and reached back to catch the ball and his right leg buckled under him.
”I ran after the ball and it kind of, like, cut on me so I had to stop,” Dahl said. ”My cleat got caught and I heard a pop. I didn’t know if it was my knee, my ankle or my Achilles so I was thinking the worst thing right there and all of the emotion kind of got to me.”
He was taken off the field on a cart after being attended to by the training staff. His teammates came out to center field to comfort him during the process.
”I saw the picture and I was tearing up when I saw the support and how much they loved me and I love them,” he said. ”It meant a lot.”
Dahl was wearing a wrap around his ankle as he spoke in front of his locker. He had his right leg on a scooter, the same one he used last season after he broke his right foot.
This is the third straight season Dahl has dealt with a significant injury. He missed all of 2017 with a stress reaction in his rib cage and was out two months last season when he fouled a ball off of his right foot.
He also had his spleen removed in 2015 after colliding with a teammate in the outfield in Double A. He missed most of the 2013 season in Class A with a hamstring injury.
”It’s upsetting, very sad, to have this happen again. That’s what sucks,” Dahl said. ”I can’t sit around and pout for myself, I’ve got to look ahead and work hard to get back. I had more at-bats this year than last year. I’m going to come back this year. That’s my plan.”
Dahl is having his best season since making his major league debut in 2016. He is batting .302 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs and was a first-time All-Star this season.
”For me, he came into his own this season,” Black said. ”To have this injury at this time of year it’s tough. We all feel for the player. Hopefully David heals quickly from this high ankle sprain and can resume playing at some point as the season progresses.”
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