With Dustin May out this season, the Dodgers’ pitching staff is in trouble.
The Dodgers announced Tuesday that May, who has not pitched since May 17, will undergo surgery to repair a flexor tendon in his right elbow. The 25-year-old’s right arm, which had received platelet-rich plasma injections six weeks ago to speed healing in hopes of avoiding being stabbed under the knife, had a prognosis confirmed while on vacation Tuesday. .
The surgery will be performed on July 18th by Dr. Neil Elatrache. This is the same doctor who performed May’s Tommy John surgery in 2021. May will also undergo Tommy John revision surgery for a grade 2 sprain at UCL, league sources said. The Athletic. He is expected to return to the Dodgers midseason next year.
After the surgery, Mei, who is a strong pitcher, pitched in a total of 15 games, but in the bottom of the first inning when she started against the Twins, her fastball slowed and she complained of discomfort in her elbow. May, who started nine games this season, pitched 48 innings with an ERA of 2.63, showing the same impressive performance that made him an attractive talent. showed.
That could be a devastating blow given the Dodgers’ rotation status, which lost Clayton Kershaw off the disabled list on Monday. The Dodgers were only hopeful about May’s return, but the rotation is desperately needed. Entering Tuesday, they’re ranked 17th in baseball among starting staffs with a 4.40 ERA, but they’ve created a series of obstacles along the way. Seven different members of the Dodgers’ starting pitching staff have been on the disabled list at some point this season, including Kershaw, May and Julio Urias. Those are the three main starters the Dodgers hoped to build their rotation. That group also doesn’t include Walker Buehler, who underwent Tommy John surgery a year ago. Urias has started 11 games this season with a 4.94 ERA. Tony Gonsolin, who was named an All-Star a year ago, has struggled with a 3.69 ERA in 12 starts and a 6.39 ERA in five starts since the beginning of June, with his fastball dropping several ticks this season. are doing. .
As it stands, the Dodgers rotation has three rookies in Michael Grove, Bobby Miller and Tuesday’s starter Emmett Sheehan, along with another starting candidate in the bullpen, Gavin Stone, who is on the disabled list. There is also Ryan Pepiot. All season due to oblique issues.
An area of the roster that was initially perceived as a strength suddenly collapsed. Kershaw has taken a heavy toll this season, but his shoulder troubles will be a concern for the rest of the season. Veterans like Urias and Gonsolin performed poorly. Too much is required of the talented but unproven arm beneath them. What’s more, the trade market looks cloudy at best, with several clubs boasting tradeable starting pitchers operating in the middle ground of the sport, close enough to postseason contention to see where it goes from there. do not want to proceed to
That will be a challenge for the Dodgers later this month. 500 batting average (47-37) in 10 games Tuesday, good enough to beat the starting staff so far. But if they do go to October, their ability to go far will depend on their ability to overcome injuries like this one. The latest in May’s promising career consisted more of short-lived explosions than sustained success.
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(Photo: Hijiri Mio / USA Today)
