Nearly one full month into his Major League career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dustin May has flashed the top-of-the-rotation potential that many have come expected of him.
The 21-year-old made five appearances in August — all but one of them being starts. He struggled in his only game out of the bullpen, yielding four runs over two innings of work against the Atlanta Braves.
May’s first stint as a reliever was short-lived, as he returned to starting duties on seven days’ rest for an outing against the San Diego Padres. With the exception of a shaky sixth, the right-hander was fairly successful, yielding just five baserunners in 5.1 innings of work.
With his turn again coming up, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has decided against May making his next start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sunday’s finale at Chase Field.
The top prospect will instead return to the bullpen, where he is going to piggyback Ross Stripling in his first start back from neck stiffness, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
Dustin May will not start Sunday. #Dodgers Dave Roberts: "He'll be the first one out of the 'pen." Sounds very much like a tandem situation with Ross Stripling coming off the IL and May following him.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 31, 2019
Ross Stripling will start for #Dodgers Sunday
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 31, 2019
Stripling was initially placed on the 10-day injured list at the end of July after battling separate bouts of biceps tendinitis and neck trouble. He was slated to begin a rehab assignment in early August, but was shut down due to a setback in his recovery from neck stiffness.
The right-hander is one of three players expected to rejoin the Dodgers when rosters officially expand on Sunday, along with David Freese and Austin Barnes.
As May once again transitions from the starting rotation to the bullpen, he has expressed a willingness to pitch in any role the Dodgers give him, especially if it helps his chances of being included on a postseason roster.
May has compiled a 1-3 record with a 4.07 ERA, 3.63 FIP and 1.15 WHIP in 24.1 innings since being promoted to the Dodgers at the start of August.
While he has enjoyed more ups than downs, the sixth inning has arguably been May’s only nemesis to this point. Nine of the 11 earned runs he has allowed this season have come during the frame.
