The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the 2021 regular season with a plethora of pitching depth and a starting rotation that figured to feature Dustin May for his first full campaign at the Major League level.
May began to build on some of the breakout performances seen in 2020 and emerged as a key contributor for the Dodgers. However, that all came to a halt on May 1, when the right-hander was removed from a start against the Milwaukee Brewers.
May underwent an MRI that revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery shortly after.
Now nearly six months removed from the operation, May was cleared to play catch for the first time since his right elbow was surgically repaired.
First day of throwing complete! ✅ pic.twitter.com/bVsCytSswB
— Dustin May (@d_maydabeast) November 2, 2021
After earning a spot in the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation, May went 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. May’s strikeouts per nine innings increased to 13.7, which represented a remarkable increase from the 7.1 he averaged last season.
Considering a normal timeline for recovery from Tommy John surgery and the Dodgers’ history of erring on the side of caution, May presumably won’t return until some time in the second half of the 2022 season.
That could wind up being a boon for the Dodgers as they went into the offseason with some question marks in the starting rotation as Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are both impending free agents.
Turner: Dodgers planned to rely on May
May’s injury wound up being some foreshadowing for the Dodgers’ health this year and removed them of a pitcher that Justin Turner said the team expected to lean on.
“He was a big part of our rotation and he was getting better every time he took the mound. That’s a significant loss for us,” Turner said at the time of May’s injury.
“That’s a significant arm we’ve relied on and were planning on relying on. Just feel terrible for Dustin. Obviously it’s not something anyone wants to go through or experience. Just wishing him a speedy recovery and hopefully he can stay mentally strong, get through this, talk to a lot of guys who have experienced it and come out of it better and stronger.”
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