Report: Rockies to promote Dahl on Monday

As their more established outfielders continue to pop up in trade rumors, the Colorado Rockies will reportedly promote David Dahl, their highly touted 22-year-old center fielder, from Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday, Nick Groke of The Denver Post reports.

In order to accommodate their No. 2 prospect on the 40-man roster (and active roster), the Rockies will reportedly designate outfielder Brandon Barnes for assignment.

Selected with the 10th pick in the 2012 draft, Dahl began the year with Double-A Hartford, managing an .867 OPS with 21 homers and 16 stolen bases in 76 games before being promoted to Triple-A. In 16 contests with Albuquerque, the Alabama native went bananas, hitting .484/.529/.887 with five homers, six doubles, two triples, and one stolen base.

"He's hitting the ball with authority and power," Rockies farm director Zach Wilson said this month. "He has the potential to impact both sides of the ball multiple times in a nine-inning game.”

Now, less than four months after his 22nd birthday, Dahl will get the opportunity to vindicate Wilson - an impressive feat for a kid whose journey to the big leagues was more than a bit rocky. In 2013, his first full season as a professional, Dahl was demoted for disciplinary reasons after missing a team flight. Last year, Dahl ruptured his spleen in a gruesome collision while playing for Double-A New Britain, and then opted to have the organ removed to expedite recovery time.