Dodgers: Dustin May appears headed for the bullpen

Dustin May has made quite an impression over his first three big-league starts.  Still, the Dodgers’ flame-throwing rookie appears headed to the bullpen.

Prior to Thursday’s matinee against the Marlins, Dodgers’ skipper Dave Roberts said that the club has not made a decision on Dustin May’s next start.  Roberts also said that an internal candidate could replace him Sunday against the Braves, with one possibility being Tony Gonsolin who last pitched on Monday for the OKC Dodgers.

If May does get shifted to the bullpen, this could be a little gamesmanship on the Dodgers’ part.  The Braves have a strong possibility of being the team that meets the Dodgers in a possible NLCS matchup and this would prevent Atlanta from facing Dustin May before the postseason.  The other reason for this shift is innings.

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Dustin May has topped out at 134 innings in the minor leagues and this season he has pitched 123 2/3 innings between the minor leagues and the majors.  Transitioning May to a relief role for a few weeks would help limit his workload and keep him fresh for the postseason.  It would also provide the Dodgers to get a longer look at someone like Tony Gonsolin as a starter.

A temporary role shift would also allow the Dodgers to get a look at Dustin May as a reliever in case he ends up pitching out of the bullpen in the postseason.  During the NLDS, the Dodgers could go with a three-man rotation which would mean if May saw action in the NLDS, it would come as a reliever.

While there is still a slim possibility that Rich Hill could make it back as a postseason starter, that remains unlikely and it is also unlikely that the Dodgers would start Stripling or Maeda over Dustin May in the postseason.  Dustin May remains the favorite to be the fourth starter in the playoffs for Los Angeles.

With the NL West soon to be locked up officially, the Dodgers are going to start preparing for the postseason.  Some of that entails putting players in different situations to see how they perform, and another is starting to ease off on certain players to get them rested for another World Series run.