When Dustin May took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their second-straight game against the Atlanta Braves, it meant more than maintaining the longest undefeated streak in baseball.

Facing off against Chris Sale in a chilly pitchers' duel in Los Angeles, May's start marked the first time he's played an MLB game in over 22 months, with the 27-year-old having to fight tooth and nail to get back to the diamond after his very life was called into question due to a freak accident.

After taking his wife out for dinner on an otherwise usual night, May took a bite of a salad and found that a lettuce leaf got stuck in his throat, causing him to choke. While he tried to get it down with some water, his attempt instead resulted in a series of increasingly alarming events that ultimately resulted in surgery.

“As soon as the water hit the salad in my throat, just full body-on-fire. Rushed to the ER. Got a CAT scan. Drank some contrast fluid. Contrast fluid did not go to my stomach — [it] went in my chest. [The salad] just got lodged in my throat a certain way. Instead of going down, it went out,” May said. “I would have been six feet under that night,” May said via MLB.com.

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“After the first [surgery], I never felt right,” May said. “It never felt like I was ever in a good spot. After I got the second one, haven’t had a painful day of throwing since then, knock on wood. I was very close to getting back when I tore my esophagus. I was in a really, really great spot. It really sucked when it happened. I’m back to where I was then. I’m happy.”

Fortunately for May, his return was incredibly impressive, with the right-hander securing six Ks on 81 pitches to go with 11 whiffs, a hit, and three walks. While he did technically surrender a run, the play was ruled unearned, as Mookie Betts was charged with an error for poor fielding.

Pulled after five complete innings, May was officially awarded a no-contest when, a few minutes later, Betts mashed in a two-run homer for the lead. But for May, any outcome was going to be a win, as after 685 days, he was back on the mound and throwing like he never left.