Dodgers: Dustin May shows flashes of potential in first MLB start

The Dodgers sent top pitching prospect Dustin May out to start on Friday night and he did not disappoint in his first big league start.

Friday night against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers sent top pitching prospect Dustin May out to the mound for his first big league start.  Although there is no pressure with the Dodgers up sixteen games in the division, the heat is certainly on for spots on the postseason roster.  For May, Friday was his first audition.

The overall line for Dustin doesn’t look too impressive as he went 5 2/3 innings while allowing three earned runs, nine hits, and struck out three.  Nearly all of that damage came in the sixth inning to the tune of three runs and four base hits.  The impressive part comes beyond the numbers.

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May didn’t have his best command but had a 2-seam fastball/sinker that he throws in the upper 90’s.  May’s fastball ranged from 95-98 miles per hour and had wicked movement.  His cutter also helped induce weak ground balls including two double plays that got himself out of trouble.  Out of the nine outs May recorded outside of strikeouts, eight of those were ground outs.

Dave Roberts seemed to have a longer leash than usual for Dustin May with the idea being to see if May could work himself out of trouble.  Dustin threw 97 pitches and Roberts kept his usual quick hook in his pocket when May put multiple base runners on in the sixth inning.  Due to their cushion in the NL West, it makes sense for the Dodgers to see what young pitchers like May are made of.

If May sneaks onto the playoff roster then there could be similar situations in which he has to work himself out of trouble.  Although his potential playoff role is yet to be determined, Friday’s sixth inning was the type of outing Dustin May could build off and learn from his experience.

May is getting another start next week against the Cardinals. With Ross Stripling still injured, and Hyun-Jin Ryu now on the IL, it’s possible that Dustin could get a couple more starts before he is shifted into a relief role.

After failing to overpay for a reliever like Felipe Vazquez, the Dodgers have gone with a youth movement of sorts by bringing up Dustin May and Tony Gosnolin.  When it comes to stuff, Dustin May has as good of stuff as anyone that was dealt at the trade deadline.  Now he has two months to prove he can be a big addition to a team with championship aspirations.