The Padres placed outfielder David Dahl on the 10-day injured list due to a right quad strain, with a retroactive placement date of April 7. Brandon Dixon was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
San Diego signed Dahl to a minor league deal during the offseason, and he broke camp with the team and appeared in four games for the Padres before this latest injury setback. Manager Bob Melvin said yesterday that Dahl was hurt while running sprints in the outfield prior to Saturday’s game, and that an IL stint seemed possible.
Dahl is unfortunately no stranger to the injured list, as several health problems (including a lacerated spleen, a stress fracture in his rib, and various back and shoulder issues) have hampered his career. It seemed like he’d finally broken through with an All-Star season with the Rockies in 2019, but Dahl has hit only .199/.236/.303 over 328 Major League plate appearances since the start of the 2020 campaign. Dahl didn’t see any big league action in 2022, spending the year at the Triple-A affiliates of the Nationals and Brewers.
Dixon’s multi-position versatility will help the Padres address their depth needs in the outfield, but the club is definitely not in an ideal place with both Dahl and Adam Engel on the IL. Juan Soto and Trent Grisham are everyday starters, of course, and Fernando Tatis Jr. will soon be joining the mix once his PED suspension is up, but until then, San Diego has used backup Jose Azocar, Dahl, and converted infielder Rougned Odor in right field. Melvin suggested that Nelson Cruz might be an option for some right field work, even though Cruz hasn’t played the outfield since 2018.