Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl got “Joshua 1:9” tattooed on his left bicep when he was 18 years old. The verse says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
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It’s the perfect verse to describe Dahl’s journey to becoming an MLB All-Star.
“I love the verse,” Dahl told Mile High Sports Magazine. “It’s what I’ve been going through my whole career.”
Selected by the Rockies with the 10th overall pick in 2012, Dahl’s minor league career was filled with injuries: a torn hamstring in 2013, a lacerated spleen in 2015, a stress fracture in his rib during spring training in 2017 that led to back spasms. When he finally returned in 2018, Dahl missed two months with a broken foot.
Dahl made his major league debut in 2016 and appeared in 63 games for the Rockies. After missing all of 2017 due to injury, he hit .273 with 16 home runs in 77 MLB games last year.
Proud to represent this team in Cleveland. 📞 pic.twitter.com/h3NxyhkQUJ
— David Dahl (@ddahl21) July 1, 2019
It’s all come together for Dahl in 2019. He’s already set new career highs in games played (80) and RBIs (51) while hitting .308. Dahl was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, and in Tuesday’s game he recorded one of the National League’s five hits and scored one of the team’s three runs.
His performance has helped keep Colorado in contention for a third straight postseason appearance. The Rockies (44-45) sit 2.5 games back of the final NL wild card spot as the All-Star break concludes and Colorado gets ready to host Cincinnati on Friday.
In 2014, Dahl reflected on the adversity he was facing in the minors and how it was impacting him.
“I learned lessons from it, and I’m a better person, better player because of it,” he told 280 Living. “And I’ve learned that if you have a good relationship with Christ, everything falls into place.”
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