Dustin May had Tommy John surgery as planned this week, with the operation performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. May now doesn’t figure to get back on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers until some time into the 2022 season.
“I haven’t talked to him yet. I think his phone has been blowing up, so I’ll let a couple days get by us and then I’ll reach out to him,” manager Dave Roberts said. “From my understanding, the surgery couldn’t have gone any better. I’m excited for Dustin to get that behind him and now work towards healing and strengthening.”
May required the surgery after coming out in the second inning of his start against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 1. He threw a 94 mph fastball and immediately gestured toward the dugout, which prompted Roberts and a Dodgers trainer to head out to the mound.
An MRI revealed the damaged UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in May’s right elbow. Roberts at the time said he wasn’t certain to what degree the tear was, but noted, “I just know it was pretty clear cut that a decision for surgery was obviously made, so that should be pretty telling.”
We gon be alright 🎶
Thanks everybody for all the well wishes, & a big thank you to Dr. ElAttrache for getting me right!#road2recovery pic.twitter.com/oQapuAC59Y
— Dustin May (@d_maydabeast) May 12, 2021
May earned the fifth spot in the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation and went 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in five outings. His strikeouts per nine innings increased to 13.7, which represented a remarkable increase from last season’s 7.1 average.
The Dodgers plan to fill the void left by May’s injury with Tony Gonsolin, who is recovering from right shoulder inflammation.
Turner: May ‘significant’ loss for Dodgers
May was part of the Dodgers’ impressive pitching depth to begin the season and among the many reason they were considered a favorite to repeat as World Series champions.
“That’s a significant loss for us. That’s a significant arm we’ve relied on and were planning on relying on,” Justin Turner said. “Just feel terrible for Dustin. Obviously it’s not something anyone wants to go through or experience.
“Just wishing him a speedy recovery and hopefully he can stay mentally strong, get through this, talk to a lot of guys who have experienced it and come out of it better and stronger.”
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