The Los Angeles Dodgers are perpetually beset with devastating injuries to their pitching staff, but this latest one is perhaps the most brutal blow they have absorbed in recent memory. Promising right-handed starter Dustin May is officially out for the remainder of the 2024 MLB campaign after having surgery to repair an esophageal tear, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
After missing most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons because of a torn UCL and flexor tendon, respectively, the 26-year-old appeared to be making progress towards a return. May suffered his esophagus injury in a “non-baseball setting” and will be prohibited from partaking in physical activity for the next couple of months as he recovers.
This is unbelievably demoralizing for someone who has made just 20 starts since 2021, but his health is obviously of the utmost importance. Thankfully, May received proper treatment for the tear before his condition worsened.
Fans will have to wait to see if he can build off the impressive arm talent he displayed in a small sample size, which includes a stellar 2020 rookie season, a 3.10 ERA in 46 games pitched and a nasty fastball-breaking ball combination. With Dustin May now out of the picture for the rest of this season, the Dodgers must look elsewhere to prop up this shockingly depleted pitching staff.
A loaded rotation that could possibly stand head-to-head with any other when at full capacity is currently without Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller (battled shoulder inflammation, is now in minor leagues), Emmet Sheehan and now May.
Compensating for these absences is far more taxing than president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman could have ever anticipated. The work he has spent amassing this arsenal and shoring up its depth may soon be rendered futile.
Do the Dodgers have a plan in light of the Dustin May news?
The organization is forced to keep searching for alternatives. Even its superbly stacked farm system and high-profile offseason acquisitions have not been enough to effectively overcome this endless injury bug. Glasnow and Yamamoto are due to return at some point after the All-Star break, though, so at least fans can maintain a decent share of their sanity. But adding another premium hurler ahead of the MLB trade deadline might be necessary.
Lefty Garrett Crochet makes a ton of sense for the Dodgers. He is under team control for a while, and LA can put together a compelling package for the Chicago White Sox. The All-Star can be an invaluable part of the team's postseason plans and also serves as a great insurance policy for further injury woes. Despite a colossal run of bad luck, this franchise is still in win-now mode.
Another World Series is the only acceptable outcome for a fan base that has been spoiled by 100-win seasons and fistfuls of National League West titles. It is now up to the Dodgers brass to pivot and do everything necessary to position the club for a championship run.
As the front office tackles this pitching plague, hopefully it is taking time to reach out and console Dustin May following this heartbreaking setback.
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