Phillies bring back DFA’d outfielder on minor league deal

The Philadelphia Phillies are bringing back a familiar face to the organization. The club announced on Monday that they are re-signing David Dahl to a minor league contract, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The 30-year-old outfielder will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley where he played 43 games this season before joining the big club in early June.

Phillies bring back DFA’d outfielder David Dahl on minor league deal

Dahl played well in Lehigh Valley in his initial tenure, hitting .340 to go along with 12 home runs and 26 RBI in 147 at-bats. This performance earned him a promotion on June 3 following the injury to Brandon Marsh which left a gap in the Phillies outfield.

Upon his promotion, Dahl made an instant impact for the club, hitting a home run in his first game against the Brewers on June 3. Through his first three games, Dahl was hitting .667 with four hits, including two home runs in just seven at-bats. The rest of the way, however, he struggled as he finished with a .207 average and 21 strikeouts in 58 at-bats.

His struggles, combined with the influx of players returning from the injured list led to Dahl being designated for assignment on July 9. Dahl initially elected free agency where he could test the free agent market and have the chance to join a new club.

The opportunity never came to fruition and Dahl lands back in Lehigh Valley where he will have the opportunity to earn a possible September promotion with the Phillies once again if he can produce like he did earlier this season. The Phillies have been plagued by injuries and inconsistent outfield play so far in 2024, which leaves a promotion very much in play for the veteran outfielder.

The former All-Star may get another chance with the Phillies this season

Prior to Dahl’s first tenure in Philadelphia, he spent time with the Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, and San Diego Padres over the course of seven major league seasons. He found the most success with the Rockies where he hit .283 with 38 home runs and 142 RBI in 264 games.

His best season as a pro came in 2019 when he was named an All-Star after hitting .302 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI in 100 games. Dahl followed up this season with a dismal 2020 campaign in which he collected just 17 hits in 93 at-bats for a .183 batting average in the shortened season. Since then, Dahl played in just 67 games in three years with the Rangers and Padres where his struggles continued. 

Part of these struggles for Dahl were due to lengthy stints on the IL with injuries to his back, foot, ankle and ribs over the course of several seasons. He was never able to get into a rhythm and when he did find success, it was short-lived.

There has never been a question of talent with Dahl and the big question has always been whether he is durable enough to sustain a solid performance both in the field and at the plate. With that being said, he played well enough with the Dodgers Triple-A team in 2023 for the Phillies to give him a shot this year. Now in his second tenure with the organization, Dahl will look to show he belongs as he will be given the opportunity to play every day in Lehigh Valley and make an impact.

With the trade deadline approaching, several players from the Phillies farm system may exit the organization as the team looks to upgrade their big league roster. These pending transactions combined with the club's thin outfield depth could mean that we haven’t seen the last of David Dahl in a Phillies uniform.