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Believe it or not, MLB spring training games start in a little over five weeks with Opening Day now 70 days away. Teams and players will start to report to their respective camps in Arizona and Florida over the next couple of weeks, with some pitchers already starting their throwing programs and continuing rehab, including Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Dustin May.
May posted a video of himself on social media throwing on a field with a caption that says “Day 1 ✅ .” Dodgers fans loved what they saw, but reminded the fireballer to take it easy for a bit as there's no rush back.
May started nine games in 2023 as his season was cut short due to multiple elbow injuries. His last appearance came on May 17 and he underwent surgery in July. May finished the year with a 4-1 record and a 2.63 ERA in 48 innings. He was off to a flying start, tossing four quality starts while allowing three or fewer hits in six starts in which he pitched at least five innings.
Injuries and short seasons have unfortunately been words May and the Dodgers have heard far too often over the years. Drafted in 2016, he made his MLB debut three years later. Incredibly, May has yet to top 200 innings for his career despite pitching in five different seasons.
He hasn’t made more than 10 starts in a single season and made 20 starts over the last three years. Still just 26 years old, the Dodgers hope that May still has something special left to show and they'll be patient and cautious with him after this latest round of ailments.
Dodgers revamped pitching staff
Though the Dodgers added much-needed depth to their pitching staff, Dustin May's return will be a welcome one whenever he is ready to toe the rubber again.
LA signed Japanese stud Yoshinobu Yamamoto and acquired Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays via trade, inking him to a hefty extension. He won’t pitch this year, but the Dodgers of course signed the best player on the planet, Shohei Ohtani.
On the surface the Dodgers rotation is solid, but Glasnow has had his share of injury problems and although there are no indications that Yamamoto won’t be an instant star in the MLB, anything can happen for a newcomer with such high expectations.
The Dodgers should have no problem reaching the postseason again and will likely be the favorites for the NL West all season. Health will certainly play a factor at some point in the season, so LA will want to have as many bodies as they can, especially pitchers.
If Dustin May can return for the stretch run of the season and be at full strength by October, what a boost it would be for the Dodgers. LA could win well over 100 games again in 2024, but the Dodgers are looking for much more than that. You don’t add the consensus top two free agents on the market in the same offseason to not play for a World Series title.
It is a good sign that May is back and throwing, but there are still plenty of hoops for him to jump through to pitch in an MLB game for the Dodgers in 2024.
