Tom Murphy inching closer to MLB return, David Dahl not so much

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies had a pair of injury updates, one good and one not so good, for the media before Tuesday’s game with the Cleveland Indians.

Catcher Tom Murphy, who suffered a broken bone in his arm in spring training, has caught two games for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes with no setbacks or complications.

“Murph is going to catch again tonight,” says manager Bud Black. “All is good with Murphy, He’s progressing. The arm feels good. He’s caught well according to Glenallen [Hill] he had a ton of at-bats there in Arizona. He’s had six at-bats in Albuquerque. But all good with Murph. He’ll need games, just to get back into baseball shape, get his timing, [get comfortable] catching and all that. It’s gonna be a little while.”

It’s hard to tell exactly what “a little while” constitutes at this time, but signs are good as opposed to outfielder David Dahl who, Black says, isn’t “healing like we hoped.”

Murphy and Dahl are two more in a long line — getting longer by the day — of young Rockies looking to help contribute to this remarkable 2017 run. Both have been Top 10 prospects throughout most, if not all, of their minor league careers and already shown an ability to translate their signature skills at the MLB level.

The fact that Colorado has played so well in the absence of these, and quite a few other players, means they can afford to take it slow, not rushing anyone back. That was displayed in Black’s comments on Murphy. Despite how much the team has needed to rely on Tony Wolters lately, and despite the lack of production from Ryan Hanigan at the plate, the Colorado Rockies seem to be in no hurry to get the catcher with 30-home run pop back on the field.