Dodgers Replacing Starting Pitcher in Rotation for Time Being

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced starting pitcher Dustin May will be the player to follow up Shohei Ohtani's opening efforts going forward.

Emmet Sheehan and Ben Casparius handled the role well after Ohtani's first five starts, however they both have their own parts to play in this Dodgers team now. Sheehan is now in the starting rotation and Casparius in the bullpen.

“Dustin has done it before so it’s really not going to be that big a deal for him,” Roberts said.

May has missed significant time due to injury since his debut in 2019, and has nearly doubled his career-highs in both starts and innings pitched this season. By managing his workload in this role, the Dodgers may see some better results from May, who has a 4.86 ERA and allowed a team-high 15 homers this season.

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve already eclipsed probably where we would have expected at this point in time,” Roberts said. “So then to curtail, save – whatever way you want to kind of frame it – a little bit here and there should be a benefit to Dustin, too.”

Before this season, May last pitched in MLB in 2023. He made just nine starts for the Dodgers, but was impressive, posting a 2.63 ERA, the second-lowest of his career so far. May has shown he still has what it takes to perform in MLB, as he allowed just two runs through his first three starts, spanning 16 innings. The Dodgers will hope a little extra rest for the right-hander will give him the boost he needs to return to form.

The Dodgers lost their first game back from the All-Star break against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, reducing their lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West to 4.5 games. After the loss, the Dodgers no longer have the best record in the National League, being overtaken by the Chicago Cubs. They'll look to strike back against the Brewers on Saturday in the second game of their three-game set at 6:10 p.m. PT.