Dustin May was expected to fill a more prominent role for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2023 season, but his first full year back from Tommy John surgery ended early due to more right elbow trouble.
May managed to make just nine starts before undergoing season-ending surgery in July to repair his right flexor tendon. He also had a Tommy John revision for a Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
May’s timeline for a return from his latest surgery is projected to be about 12 months. Even if the team takes a conservative approach, he could be back on a mound for the Dodgers at some point during the second half of the 2024 season.
With roughly a month until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, May shared a video of him throwing for the first time since his operation.
May went 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA, 3.23 FIP and 0.94 WHIP in 48 innings pitched last year prior to undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. In parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, he owns a 12-9 record, 3.10 ERA, 3.76 FIP and 1.05 WHIP over 46 games (34 starts).
If the 26-year-old stays on course with his recovery, he will eventually join a Dodgers rotation that is expected to include Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan, among others.
Buehler is working his way back from a second Tommy John surgery and should be a full-go for the start of the 2024 season.
Dustin May among Dodgers who avoided arbitration
May was among 10 Dodgers players who avoided arbitration for the 2024 season. The right-hander signed a one-year contract worth $2.135 million, which fell short of the $2.4 million salary MLB Trade Rumors had projected for him.
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