Dahl exits early with abdominal injury

DENVER -- Rockies left fielder David Dahl, the team’s bright spot during a struggling start to the season, does not believe he will miss extended action with an abdominal injury that forced him to leave Sunday night’s 12-6 loss to the Dodgers at Coors Field.

Dahl, who entered batting .353 and having homered in his previous two games, grabbed list left side after striking out against Dodgers lefty Julio Urias in the first inning. Dahl also was seen holding his left side with his glove after making a throw back to the infield on Cody Bellinger’s second-inning double.

“It was just on that high fastball. It kind of tightened up when I tried to catch up to it, on the follow-through,” Dahl said. “I went out and played defense and it didn’t loosen up. As kind of a precaution, I came out. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow. I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

Manager Bud Black didn’t have much more to offer postgame than what he said in an interview during the ESPN telecast: "On the strikeout on the high fastball, he felt something in his abdomen, down below the oblique. We've got our fingers crossed. We hope it's just a tweak."

The struggling Rockies (3-7) hope not, since the injured list is heavily populated.

Placed on the 10-day injured list since the start of the season are first baseman Daniel Murphy with a fractured left index finger, left-handed pitcher Jake McGee with a left knee sprain, infielder Ryan McMahon with a left elbow sprain and left-handed starting pitcher Tyler Anderson with left knee inflammation.

The season started with righty starter Antonio Senzatela (blister infection, right knee) and lefty reliever Chris Rusin (mid-back strain) on the injured list.

Raimel Tapia replaced Dahl defensively to start the top of the third, made two impressive catches and tripled and scored in the ninth.