Dodgers Spring Training: Dustin May Pleased With 2023 Cactus League Debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the month of March with a 4-2 win over the Texas Rangers in a rain-shortened game (seven innings) at Surprise Stadium.

Dustin May pitched into the second inning of his first start this spring, allowing one run that scored when Chris Taylor couldn’t handle a hard-hit ball at shortstop and Mookie Betts failed to cut off a drive to the gap. “Felt good. Worked on mechanical stuff out of the stretch,” May said after the game.

“In the second inning I got a little too fast for my body, so I just need to slow down a little bit and let the arm catch up. But other than that, I thought stuff was coming out really well. Everything was kind of working.”

May is looking to be quicker with pitches to plate, but that’s not necessarily related to the new clock. “Just time to the plate,” May answered when asked if working on his mechanics was related to the pitch timer.

“Not as slow, because I was very sloppy last year. Trying to be somewhere in that middle range of not too fast, not too slow.”

May logged 1.2 innings in his 2023 Cactus League debut, collected three strikeouts and topped out at 98 mph on his fastball. “I definitely think there’s some more in the tank,” he said of the velocity.

“That was my first outing of Spring Training, so I definitely think that I have some more stuff once the real games start. The real adrenaline starts to kick in and games actually start to matter. There will be a little more.”

Dustin May in ‘better spot’ with Dodgers

May is entering his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery, and while there will be limitations, he believes he is in a more favorable position compared to this time last year.

“I’m definitely in a better spot than I was last Spring Training,” May noted.

“I feel like I’m at a stronger point right now than I was at the end of the year. I feel like I’m going in the right direction, for sure.”