Play came to a grinding halt Sunday in the fourth inning of the series finale between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks when Dustin May was struck in the side of his head by a line drive. It registered at 92 mph off Jake Lamb’s bat.
The ball caromed into left field for a game-tying, two-run single before a Dodgers trainer and manager Dave Roberts could rush onto the field. May laid on the ground clutching at his head and rolled over onto his back while being tended to.
He was helped to his feet and appeared to inform Roberts and the trainer the ball glanced off his glove along with making some contact with the side of his head. After a brief conversation May walked off the field under his own power, even putting his cap back on.
He exited from just a second career relief appearance as the Dodgers continue to experiment for a potential role in the postseason. May started the inning with a strikeout before allowing an infield single and back-to-back base hits.
May appears to have avoided serious injury, which also applies to Max Muncy after he was hit by a pitch in the right wrist. Muncy sustained a fracture, but it’s only considered minor and one that will sideline him for two weeks.
Both incidents serve as a reminder of what can transpire any given game. The Dodgers avoiding injuries is particularly paramount as they close in on a seventh consecutive National League West title and continue their pursuit for a World Series championship.
“You’ve still got to go out there and play,” Roberts said last week in San Diego. “You can’t cover guys up and not play them. It’s baseball and that’s kind of the chance you take when you run somebody out there.”
“Obviously the games are important, they all matter. Fortunately, where we’ve put ourselves in the standings, you want to make sure you’re firing on all cylinders and part of that is being healthy. There’s certainly a balance. You want to make sure guys are healthy when you get to the second season.”
