MAY DAY: Dustin May Secures Starting Rotation Spot for Dodgers
Tony Gonsolin’s long wait to return to the mound will continue following the news that he suffered a back injury and will begin the 2025 MLB season on the injured list. That devastating setback opens the door for another right-handed pitcher who has been out of action for well over a year. Dustin May will begin the new campaign as the fifth starter in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The 27-year-old has a 5.40 ERA and six strikeouts in five innings of work in spring training, but he has impressed manager Dave Roberts by how he has built his strength back up after suffering multiple injuries during the last couple of years. May underwent season-ending elbow surgery in July of 2023 and then tore his esophagus while recovering in 2024. Needless to say, the road back to the mound has been a grueling one.
How long will Dodgers’ Dustin May stay in the rotation?
Since Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw and Gonsolin are all expected to re-enter the equation at some point, May’s long-term status in the rotation could be very temporary. The onus is on the 2020 World Series champion to seize this opportunity early in the season and make himself irreplaceable. Given what he has endured just to get to this stage, May will probably welcome the challenge.
The 2016 third-round draft pick is surely just happy to be pitching again. He will accompany the Dodgers to Japan for the Tokyo Series, which pits the 2024 champions against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19. Then, presumably in April, Dustin May will make his first MLB start since May 17.
He is 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA, 174 strikeouts, 1.049 WHIP and .206 batting average allowed in 191 2/3 career innings. His future with LA is uncertain, but it is much brighter than his recent past. And that is all May will ask for right now.
