The esophageal tear was not caused by any baseball-related activity, and Passan noted that “May sought medical attention for pain in his throat and stomach,” which ultimately led to surgery. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (x link) writes that May felt a “sudden pain” while eating dinner earlier this week.
May was still scheduled to pitch in 2024, as he was still rehabilitating from flexor tendon surgery he had undergone nearly a year earlier. Unfortunately, this latest injury occurred as May was nearing a minor league rehab assignment, as he was already participating in bullpen sessions and other advanced ramp-ups. Although he would still need a lengthy minor league rehabilitation stint to properly build his arm, it was expected that May would return at some point before the end of the season. For example, returning as a reliever rather than a starter would have allowed May to get to the mound a little sooner, and he could have been a multi-inning relief weapon or opener for Los Angeles during the playoffs – similar. For his use during the Dodgers’ championship run in 2020.
The 2024 campaign will now be all set for May, and the unique nature of this esophageal surgery makes his latest recovery timeline uncertain. A two-month pause on all physical activity will completely reset May’s progress, so between the specific recovery process associated with this surgery and then the traditional ramp-up period, it is unclear whether May will be ready for Opening Day 2025. Or not. This would be another long setback in his young career.
The former star prospect has a 3.10 ERA over 191 2/3 Major League innings from 2019-23, showing glimpses of the ability that made him a highly praised prospect during his time in the LA farm system. May started 10 of 12 regular-season games in 2020 and worked primarily as a reliever to help the Dodgers win a ring that year, but Tommy John surgery kept him from making 53 regular season appearances in 2021–22. -Limited to season frames. May threw 48 innings (with a 2.63 ERA) in nine starts in 2023 before undergoing surgery to repair both his flexor tendon and a Tommy John modification to address a Grade 2 UCL sprain.
Although it seems like May’s career hasn’t fully taken off yet, he’ll turn 27 in September and only has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining before entering free agency after the 2025 season. It may be too early to write off May as a productive and effective pitcher once he recovers from his latest procedure, although three major surgeries in a four-year period certainly bode ill for a pitcher who looked like he was going to be so. Going to do. A cornerstone of the Dodgers’ rotation this decade.
In the short term, the Dodgers now know they will get no help in 2024 from another one of the 12 pitchers on their injured list. Incredibly long list includes more than enough potential starters worthy of a rotation yoshinobu yamamoto, tyler glasnow, clayton kershawAnd walker buehler, Hopefully all of the quartet will return sometime in the second half with May joining Emmett Sheehan And Tony Gonsolin In the injury group at the end of the season. ,shohei ohtani Considered the 13th “pitcher” out of action, as Ohtani continues to excel as a designated hitter, the two-way superstar will not pitch this season as he recovers from elbow surgery he suffered last fall. )
It’s not surprising that Los Angeles is heavily linked to the starting pitching market as the trade deadline approaches, and it would be surprising if the Dodgers were able to strengthen this injury-plagued rotation. Didn’t lend at least one extra hand to help. Losing May would not have as much of an impact on the Dodgers’ leverage in trade negotiations because it was unclear how May would be deployed or how much he would pitch when he returned, yet rival teams would be eager to try to make a big comeback. Bound to take advantage of Los Angeles’ clear need for additional pitching.
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