David Dahl is headed to the injury list again.
After exiting Sunday’s game following his second-inning strikeout, the Rockies were evaluating whether the often-sidelined 25-year-old would need to be placed on the 10-day injury list. He will be, with a “left core side injury,” the team announced Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s not bad at all, just a little tweak, and I thought I could be back pretty quickly, so I was hoping to avoid the IL,” Dahl said. “When I swung, it felt like a cramp that wouldn’t loosen up. … They wanted to give it a couple extra days, and I’m very confident I’ll be back within 10 days.”
Colorado called up outfielder Yonathan Daza in his place. Daza, 25, is coming off his first big-league spring training and will be making his first career appearance on an active MLB roster.
Daza was a midseason all-star with Double-A Hartford in 2018, batting .306 (67-for-219) with 27 runs, 10 doubles and four homers in an injury-shortened season. Colorado signed him as a nondrafted, international free agent out of Venezuela in 2010, and he was immediately placed in right field and slated to hit leadoff for Tuesday’s game against Atlanta.
“Yesterday I wasn’t playing in the (Isotopes) game, which is a little bit weird because I’ve been playing every day,” Daza said. “Being here fulfills a dream — I called my mom back in Venezuela and she cried — and I’m ready to get to work and help the team win games.”
Dahl’s status on the IL is retroactive to Monday, and Dahl is confident Daza and the other recent call-ups from Albuquerque can manage in the wake of other injuries to key players such as Daniel Murphy and Ryan McMahon.
“We’ve dealt with some adversity here in the beginning stages, but it’s a 162-game season,” Dahl said. “We’re going to get everybody back, and we’ve got guys up here that can play. … (This move) was more of, if I’m going to be down for five days, it’s hard to go without an extra bench player for five days.”
ǴdzٲԴdzٱ.In other injury-related news, manager Bud Black said right-hander Jeff Hoffman would be activated onto the 25-man roster to start Wednesday’s series finale against the Braves. Hoffman, 26, takes the place of Tyler Anderson (left knee inflammation) in the rotation, and Hoffman is likely to start Monday’s game in San Diego as well.
On Deck
Braves RHP Kevin Gausman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) at Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (0-0, 0.00)
1:10 p.m. Wednesday, Coors Field
TV: ATTRM Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Gausman, a Centennial native and a product of Grandview High School, makes his Coors Field debut after pitching seven scoreless innings against Miami last Friday. He struck out seven, allowing two hits and two walks in a 4-0 Atlanta victory. Even though Coors is just a 30-minute drive from where he grew up, it’s one of two big-league parks he has never pitched in, the other being St. Louis’ Busch Stadium. Hoffman, scheduled to be called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, will replace injured left-hander Tyler Anderson. Hoffman walked four batters and hit two more in 3 ⅔ innings, giving up four runs on six hits.
Trending: After a nearly injury-free spring training, the Rockies have lost players at an alarming rate. So far this season, first baseman Daniel Murphy, infielder Ryan McMahon, outfielder David Dahl, left-hander Jake McGree and Anderson have all gone on the injured list.
At issue: It’s not just the Rockies’ hitting woes that are a red flag. Entering Tuesday night’s game vs. the Braves, Rockies starters were 2-8 with a 6.18 ERA, the second-highest ERA in the National League behind the Cubs (6.49).
Upcoming pitching matchups
Thursday: Rockies Jon Gray (0-2, 5.68 ERA) at Giants LHP Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 2.79), 7:45 p.m., ATTRM
Friday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (0-2, 11.88) at Giants LHP Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 4.00), 8:15 p.m., ATTRM
Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-2, 5.40) at Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 3.32), 2:05 p.m., FS1
