The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Dustin May will undergo Tommy John surgery, which ends his 2021 season. The operation will be performed in Los Angeles Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Tuesday, May 11.
May was injured during the second inning of his start against the Milwaukee Brewers last Friday. May gestured to the dugout after throwing a 94 mph fastball that was well out of the zone and well below his average velocity.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game that May felt a “shooting sensation through his arm” after throwing a curveball earlier in the at-bat. The Dodgers had May undergo an MRI in Chicago on Monday morning, which revealed the damaged UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) in his right elbow.
Prior to the team announcing May’s operation, it was reported that the Dodgers were evaluating their options. “That’s a significant loss for us,” Justin Turner said of May before planned surgery was made official.
“That’s a significant arm we’ve relied on and were planning on relying on. 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.”
May earned a spot in the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation and went 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. His strikeouts per nine innings increased to 13.7, which represented a remarkable increase from the 7.1 May averaged last season.
Given the general timeline for a recovery from Tommy John surgery, May could miss multiple months of the 2022 season as well. That would appear all the more likely considering the Dodgers often erring on the side of caution.
Dodgers’ plans without May
Given their three off days leading up to Thursday, May 13, the Dodgers are weighing the possibility of sticking with a four-man starting rotation for the time being.
Tony Gonsolin figures to eventually fill the role as he is being built up as a starter while recovering from right shoulder inflammation.
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