Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers and right-handed pitcher Dustin May have reportedly agreed to a one-year $2.135 million contract ahead of today’s non-tender deadline, thus avoiding arbitration.
It has been a rough three years for the 27-year-old righty, who has missed extensive amounts of time due to various arm, elbow, and a throat injury last season.
May, who made his debut during the 2019 regular season and was a massive part of the Los Angeles Dodgers 2020 World Series team, has made a collective twenty starts since then. After winning a spot in the starting rotation for the 2021 squad, May would leave a start against the Milwaukee Brewers in the second inning following a 94.3 mph fastball to Billy McKinney.
After the start and further evaluation, it was revealed that May had torn his UCL and would require season-ending Tommy John Surgery, sidelining him until August 2022.
May would make a handful of appearances with the Dodgers at the end of the 2022 season and even make the National League Division Series roster but would not throw a single pitch as the Dodgers were eliminated in four games, ending their season.
May, finally geared to take the next step in his career, would again make the 2023 starting rotation but get hit by the injury bug. In a start against Minnesota on May 17th, 2023, after the first inning, when his fastball velocity dropped about two mph below his season average, landing him on the 15-day injured list. May would have Tommy John surgery for the second in his career later that summer in July.
The final kicker was an injury suffered last season that was non-baseball related. During his rehab session during the regular season, May suffered a freak injury to his esophagus.
May would have season-ending surgery to repair an esophageal tear just before the righty was set to begin a rehab assignment.
In terms of “stuff,” May has some of the best pure fifth in the game with a career 8.5 K/9, which peaked during the 2021 season at 13.1 but has been belittled by injuries.
May is 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 34 starts and 12 relief appearances over five seasons with the Dodgers. It’ll be interesting to see what the club does with the fragile righty, with the team planning to incorporate a six-man rotation for the 2025 season.
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