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The Los Angeles Dodgers, quite frankly, didn't know what they were going to get from Dustin May when he took the mound Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves.
It had been 685 days and two elbow surgeries since the right-hander last pitched in an MLB game on May 17, 2023, not to mention 265 days since one bad bite of lettuce landed him in emergency surgery to repair a torn esophagus.
The 27-year-old, selected by the Dodgers in the third round (No. 101 overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft, has been hampered by injuries throughout his career and has never pitched in more than 14 games in a single Major League season, with that career high coming during his rookie year in 2019.
Dustin May's explosive return to Dodgers creates more starting rotation questions
However, no one who watched May on the mound Tuesday against the Braves would have guessed that it had been nearly two years since he had last pitched in the big leagues. He dominated through five innings of work, allowing one run (unearned) on one hit, striking out six and walking three to help lift the Dodgers to a come-from-behind win over the Braves and extend their undefeated start to 7-0.
In his first Major League game since May 17, 2023, Dustin May strikes out the side to start the game! pic.twitter.com/wIR4sIQI8p
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 2, 2025
Needless to say, May's strong start is a positive development for the Dodgers — assuming he can stay healthy, that is. After injuries ravaged their starting rotation in 2024, the Dodgers have turned a weakness into a strength with a dominant five-man rotation of May, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki to open 2025.
Of course, that is expected to turn into a six-man rotation once Shohei Ohtani ramps up to pitching again. But Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw are waiting in the wings, too. If and when they return from their respective injuries this season, the Dodgers are going to have too many starting pitchers – a problem they would have envied last season.
May is set to become a free agent after this season; but if he stays healthy and continues to dominate, can the Dodgers afford to let him walk? Regardless, the pitching-rich club could have some tough decisions to make this season.