Phillies next man up philosophy continues with David Dahl’s 2-hit season debut originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Phillies lost starter Taijuan Walker to a sore shoulder during spring training. Spencer Turnbull took the ball and made it 2-0, 1.67 in six games.
They are without shortstop Trea Turner, who was batting .343 a month ago when he strained his hamstring. Edmundo Sosa has enjoyed most of his playing time in his absence and is playing some of the best ball of his career.
Left-back Brandon Marsh went on the injured list on Monday, also with a hamstring strain, and you’ll never guess what happened next. In fact, you probably will. . .
David Dahl, a 30-year-old outfielder who has played a total of four games in the big leagues since 2021, was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He started on the left. And he went 2-for-3, including a home run, and scored twice to help the Phillies beat the top-ranked Brewers, 3-1, at Citizens Bank Park.
That’s how things have gone for the Phillies so far this season. It’s the kind of serendipity that can suffuse teams with a faint aura of team-of-fate. Next Man Up is a great philosophy, but it rarely works so well for so long.
“David can hit,” manager Rob Thomson said after the game. “Going into the offseason last year, we were talking about depth. Shooting depth, but also positions players. The front desk went out and got it and you need it. Because there will be injuries. You will get hurt.
“And a credit to our player development system for keeping these guys sharp and getting them going. It was great to see.”
Signed as a minor league free agent with an invitation to major league camp after the start of spring training, Dahl was batting .340 for the IronPigs. He had 12 homers and a 1.076 OPS.
He is expected to share playing time with Cristian Pache until Marsh returns.
“I’m super excited and grateful to be here and try to take advantage of the opportunity,” Dahl said. “I was just trying to get good bats together. Hit the ball hard. And whatever happens after that, happens.”
His numbers in the minor leagues suggest he was locked in for most of the season. “Just being healthy and getting consistent ABs,” he said. “Trying not to do too much. I’ve worked a lot on the mental side over the years and it’s definitely helped me.”
Lehigh Valley was off Monday. Dahl was at his hotel, watching Netflix, when Sam Fuld called around 12:45 p.m. to tell him the news. About 20 minutes later he found out he was in the lineup.
“I think it helped because I wasn’t thinking about it,” he said. “It was like, ‘Okay, we have to go.’ I didn’t have much time to think about it. Just go play.
When Dahl returned to his stance after hitting the home run, he received a standing ovation. “It was definitely surreal,” he said. “After I hit the home run, they gave me a standing ovation and that was definitely the coolest thing that ever happened to me on a baseball field.”
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