Oddly, the month of May hasn’t been kind to Los Angeles Dodgers starter Dustin May.
He was having a breakout season in 2021, with a 2.74 ERA in 23 innings (and an incredible 35 strikeouts) when he damaged ligaments in his right elbow and required Tommy John surgery.
After a long rehab, he returned late in 2022.
On Wednesday (May 17), the talented fireballer complained about pain in his right elbow, and fans from all teams can’t help but feel worried about the worst.
Dustin May left the game with right elbow pain.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 17, 2023
Ouch.
It would be cruel if he ends up needing a second Tommy John surgery after returning from it just a few months ago.
However, it’s way too early to tell.
It’s important to point out, however, that the word “pain” is not encouraging at all.
Still, we have seen lots of “tightness” or “soreness” evolving into the dreaded Tommy John procedure.
Perhaps the pain means there is some scar tissue breaking up in his elbow.
We won’t know until the Dodgers perform an MRI on the pitcher, which will probably be on Wednesday.
May completed one inning against the Twins, giving up one hit and striking out two batters.
If the worst happens, it would be a huge blow to a Dodgers team that has already lost several pitchers to injury and free agency in recent months.
He was pitching well in 2023, as he entered the game with a 2.68 ERA in eight starts.
He hadn’t quite recovered his strikeout stuff, as he fanned just 32 hitters in 47 frames, but he was a valuable member of the Dodgers rotation and the upside was there for a turnaround on that front.
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