Dustin May guaranteeing offseason departure with ugly recent stretch for Dodgers

Dustin May came out the gate hot to start the 2025 season, when his first three starts on the year yielded a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings. He needed it, too; after years spent battling injuries, including a really weird off-the-field incident that led to a torn esophagus last year, and surgeries that led to shortened seasons. He had never pitched more than 56 innings in a season, but he started this year healthy and got an earnest shot at breaking through that ceiling for the first time since 2023.

However, May has wobbled a lot as of late. In his last seven starts, he has a 6.05 ERA. His command has gotten wonkier — he walked 15 batters in June as opposed to eight in May — and his strikeout numbers are dropping significantly as well.

During his last appearance against the Giants on July 11, he gave up seven runs and was pulled after 4 2/3 innings. After the game, Dave Roberts introduced the possibility of moving May to the bullpen, though he clarified that May would probably get a few more chances after the All-Star break.

Dodgers could move Dustin May to the bullpen after seven-game, 6.00 ERA stretch

May is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, and unless he gets really good really fast, there's probably no way the Dodgers are going to try to keep him. He's occasionally looked brilliant, with a wicked sweeper that seems unhittable when it's right, but he's so injury prone and hasn't been able to prove he has the longevity this season, the first fully healthy season of his career.

Beggars can't be choosers, and the Dodgers have been sticking with May because the rest of the rotation is so battered, but that could change when Blake Snell returns from the IL. He probably won't be much of a trade candidate, so the Dodgers are likely to take him to the end of the season, but it seems likely that they'll just wish him happy trails at the end of October.

Who knows, though? If May does make a move to the bullpen, he could find a niche there and transition fully as more of a bulk reliever. It probably won't buy him back onto the Dodgers' 2026 roster, but it could help him sell himself more effectively in free agency.

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