Dodgers’ Dustin May reveals biggest need after first month back from injury

The Los Angeles Dodgers currently hold a very slim lead at the very top of the NL West, which has been the best division in baseball. The Dodgers currently hold a 23-11 record, just enough to stand a half-game above the San Diego Padres for the top spot early in the season.

Impressively, Dave Roberts and company have managed to win so many games this season despite dealing with injuries in their starting rotation. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto has arguably been the best pitcher in baseball and is right in the Cy Young mix, the Dodgers just got Tony Gonsolin back, are still waiting for Shohei Ohtani to return to the mound and have had to deal with the struggles of Roki Sasaki.

Dustin May is another name who is just getting back on the mound for Los Angeles after missing all of the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. While he has shown flashes of his old self at times, May’s return has been a bit of a roller coaster. He knows that in order to have a big postseason role for the defending champs, he needs to be a bit more steady.

“[There were] ups and downs,” May said of his start to the season, per Rick Farlow of MLB.com. “There were a couple of good moments and a couple of really bad ones. I definitely need to be more consistent.”

May is coming off of a rocky outing on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, a 4-3 loss for his Dodgers. In that game, the 27-year-old threw 5.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits, including a pair of home runs.

The numbers for the season suggest someone who has been struggling to find his consistency, but is also far from a net negative on the mound. In six starts, May has just a 4.36 ERA and has struck out 28 batters to 14 walks in 33 innings. He has three decisions in those six starts with a 1-2 record.

Once the Dodgers have a fully healthy rotation, it’s unclear how Roberts plans to utilize all of his arms. However, May finding some more consistent control will make the defending champs even more dangerous as they march on through the 2025 season.