Dahl-iciuos

David Dahl

You'd be forgiven if you didn't show patience with David Dahl.

You sure are being rewarded right now if you did.

Dahl hit a two-run homer on Thursday in the first inning to help the Rockies pick up a 5-3 victory over the Phillies. This gives Dahl 14 homers on the season, and it's the fourth-straight game that the outfielder has gone deep. The victory also gives the Rockies a full game lead in the NL West over the Dodgers with just three games to play.

Dahl's start to the season was solid -- if not spectacular -- but things have really clicked for the 24-year-old in September. He's hitting .309/.342/.610 in his 68 at-bats during the month, and he's blasted six homers and driven in 21 runs in that time frame. Since the All-Star break, the left-handed hitter has an OPS of .872, and while there's an obvious home/away split here (1.027 OPS in Coors Field, .607 on the road), he's hit better away from home as of late, and the production is the production -- assuming Dahl isn't going anywhere.

It's never been a question of talent with Dahl. He was considered one of the best outfield prospects in baseball the moment he was taken with the 10th pick in the 2012 draft. The issue has been staying healthy. He missed all of the 2017 season due to rib and back issues, and he missed a large portion of the 2018 season when he broke his foot this summer. He posted an .859 OPS in his rookie season of 2016, however, and he's always hit in the minors. This certainly doesn't come out of nowhere.

Dahl is going to always struggle against lefties, and he needs to show that he can do this over a full season. That being said, Dahl is just starting to figure some things out, and there's absolutely reason to believe that a breakout 2019 season is coming. We're excited to see what he can do.

The Mondesi show continues

It's been a disastrous season for the Royals, but to say that Adalberto has been a bright spot in a poor year is an understatement. A big one.

Mondesi homered again and stole two bases in a 2-1 extra-innings win over the Indians on Thursday. The homer gives Mondesi 13 in 72 games, and the two steals give him 30-in-37 attempts for the Royals.

Mondesi has always been a scouting favorite; he's not far removed from being a consensus top 25 prospect in baseball. He really struggled to apply those skills over the past few years, but he certainly has this year. The big development is the power; he was considered a fringe-average pop guy, which suggests 10-14 homers a year. Right now, Mondesi is showing at least plus power, and his bat speed and added loft suggests that he can keep it going. When you combine that with his ridiculous speed, you get one of the best young power/speed guys in the game right now.

It'd be nice to see him draw more walks -- he drew one on Thursday to up his total to just nine compared to 74 strikeouts -- and you'd be forgiven if you were concerned by the (relatively) small sample size. Guys who can hit for power and steal bases while playing the middle infield are rare, however, which makes Mondesi an intriguing -- if a bit volatile -- player to bid on this winter.

American League Quick Hits: Rangers interim manager Don Wakamatsu said Thursday that Adrian Beltre (hip) will attempt to play in each of the team's final three games over the weekend. Beltre was held out of Thursday's lineup due to lingering hip soreness ... Tigers LHP Francisco Liriano was removed from Thursday's start against the Twins after only 2 2/3 innings due to lower back tightness ... Royals OF Whit Merrifield went 2-for-5 with his American League-leading 42nd stolen base of the year Thursday in the Royals’ extra-innings win over the Indians ... Thursday's scheduled game between the Astros and Orioles in Baltimore was postponed due to rain. It'll be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. ... Indians manager Terry Francona announced that Erik Gonzalez has improved, but remains in the concussion protocol. Gonzalez was removed from Wednesday's game after being hit in the head by a pitch ... Yankees LHP  CC Sabathia was ejected from his start Thursday against the Rays after hitting Jesus Sucre with a pitch ... Angels RHP Ty Buttrey has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to a recurrence of right knee bursitis.

 

National League Quick Hits: Mets OF Juan Lagares began running at full speed on Thursday for the first time since tearing the plantar plate in his left big toe in May ... Pirates OF Jordan Luplow will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in Chicago on Thursday ... RHP Chris Archer will not make his scheduled start on Sunday due to left groin discomfort. The Pirates are calling it continued discomfort from the groin strain that he dealt with earlier this season ... Cubs manager Joe Maddon said that he expects Kris Bryant (wrist) to return to the starting lineup on Friday ... Major League Baseball has extended Addison Russell's administrative leave through the end of the regular season, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ... X-rays turned up negative on Justin Turner's left thumb. Turner's thumb got jammed as he tried to field a fifth-inning grounder off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt, but he remained in the game for all nine innings and should be fine for the Dodgers' final regular-season series against the Giants ... 3B Jung Ho Kang will join the Pirates on Friday.