Expectations were high for Dustin May when he made his MLB debut during the 2019 season, but so far he has had mixed results on living up to them.
May has been a quality pitcher while on the mound, but he has thus far been limited by injuries. He threw a career-high 56 innings during the shortened 2020 season, and in 2023, he set his second-highest mark with 48 innings before suffering an elbow injury.
The 26-year-old underwent season-ending surgery to repair his right flexor tendon and also had a Tommy John revision for a Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). He is expected to miss at least half of the 2024 season, but there’s no guarantee he pitches during the year.
However, May shared an update on his progress on SportsNet LA and said things are so far going well:
“I started throwing three weeks ago, still throwing three days a week right now, feeling really good. Just got to keep building off of that and keep going the right way.”
May still has a long road ahead of him in his recovery and rehab process, but in the meantime, he’s trying to keep a positive mindset everyday:
“Just trying to keep your head up and stay positive and look forward to the next day throwing has definitely been the biggest key. Just trying to stay positive and having a good mindset.”
May went 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA, 3.23 FIP and 0.94 WHIP prior to undergoing elbow surgery last season.
The right-hander had his 2021 season end early due to injury as well, requiring Tommy John surgery in that instance. A prolonged recovery limited May to just six starts in 2022.
Over parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, May owns a career 12-9 record, 3.10 ERA, 3.76 FIP and 1.05 WHIP in 46 games (34 starts).
Dodgers placed Dustin May on 60-day injured list
The Dodgers placed May on the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room for Ryan Brasier on the 40-man roster. Thursday was the first day the Dodgers could begin utilizing the 60-day IL as they opened camp for Spring Training.
The move does not change his timeline or signify anything different about the state of his rehab process, but it was a necessary move to open the roster space while May is out until at least after the All-Star break.
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