LeMahieu back for Rox; Dahl has broken foot

DENVER -- Rockies outfielder David Dahl crumpled in pain and disbelief after fouling an eighth-inning pitch off the top of his right foot, saying, "You've gotta be kidding me … why does this happen?"
Dahl sustained a broken second metatarsal bone in his right foot, and the club placed him on the 10-day disabled list Friday, thus tempering the news that DJ LeMahieu had been activated and was in the starting lineup after missing 15 games with a left thumb injury.
Dahl and manager Bud Black said they hope for a return in 6-8 weeks.
This injury occurred just when Dahl -- who didn't play in the Majors last year because of a stress reaction in his rib cage that led to back issues -- was finding his swing. Since being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, Dahl has hit .275 with four home runs and 13 RBIs and had worked himself well into a rotation of fellow left-handed-hitting corner outfielders, which included Carlos González and Gerardo Parra.

The right foot break, which occured on a foul ball off a pitch from Giants reliever Sam Dyson in the Rockies' 7-4 loss Wednesday, occurred two days after he suffered a bruised left shin and calf in a collision at second base with Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford in the ninth inning of a 6-5, 10-inning Rockies victory. In both cases, Dahl stayed in the game. Dahl grounded out Wednesday.
Dahl, smarting from Monday's injury, pinch-hit Tuesday night but didn't have to run -- he hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer. The hope was if he were limited to pinch-hit duty Wednesday, he could be a starting option Friday.
But Dahl knew something was wrong as soon as he fouled the pitch off his foot Wednesday. And when he woke up Thursday morning, there was no doubt.
"I couldn't put any weight on it; it was basically, like, killing me," Dahl said. "I had to crawl to the shower. And also, my shin was pretty sore. So I got it on both sides right now.
"I texted 'Doogie' [head athletic trainer Keith Dugger] and said, 'My foot's killing me,' and he set up a CT scan right then, and we found out."

How unlucky was this break?
"I've never hit a ball off the top of my foot my whole career," Dahl said. "I wear a shin guard because I've hit it off my shin before, but never off the top of my foot."
From the start of the Rockies' current home stand last Friday until Wednesday's injury, Dahl had posted a 1.165 OPS with a slash line of .375/.353/.813, with two homers, a double, a sacrifice fly and six RBIs.
"David was down, but he was in a decent frame of mind I think already today, when he found out the news yesterday," Black said. "But I told him that it's a long way to go in the season, and we're going to need him."
Dahl was the Rockies' top pick, 10th overall, in 2012 out of Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, Ala., and injuries have been a part of his story.
Dahl had a strong Major League debut in 2016 -- hitting .315 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 63 games -- before last year's rib and back issues.
"Bad luck, but, hopefully, getting them out of my way early in my career," Dahl said. "Charlie [Blackmon] had some injuries coming up, but he's made himself into the player that he is. That's a good example. I'll try to follow what he does."