The Los Angeles Dodgers have been forced to be quite creative with their pitching roster this season.
Dustin May came into this season having not pitched since the beginning of the 2023 campaign and even overcoming a life-threatening freak accident when he was nearly ready to start a rehab assignment last year.
Things have unfortunately gone south for the 27-year-old after a promising first three starts this season, as his total ERA is now 4.96, the highest at any point of his six MLB seasons.
More news: Dodgers’ Top Prospect Worked With Juan Soto, Elly De La Cruz to Get Better in Offseason
Amid recent struggles, namely a 6.61 ERA in his last six starts, there was chatter regarding moving the right-hander to the bullpen for the first time since 2020.
The current plan in place isn’t necessarily a permanent move, but May will relieve Shohei Ohtani on Monday night, as the three-time MVP is expected to pitch 2-3 innings. Manager Dave Roberts spoke on the shift for his pitcher.
“Dustin has done it before so it’s really not going to be that big a deal for him,” Roberts said.
The skipper also spoke on the increased workload May has seen, especially coming off of his injuries, and how perhaps a middle reliever role can be better for both parties in the long run.
May has 17 starts totaling 94.1 innings of work, second to just Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 19 starts and 104.1 innings. Both his total starts and innings pitched are career-highs by a large margin for the 27-year-old.
“Yeah, I mean, we’ve already eclipsed probably where we would have expected at this point in time,” Roberts said. “So then to curtail, save – whatever way you want to kind of frame it – a little bit here and there should be a benefit to Dustin, too.”
Regardless of when May approaches the mound, to start the game or jog out from the bullpen, the right-hander must get back to a more effective place and work to lower his ERA for the second half of the season.
More news: Dodgers Looking for Bullpen Help at Trade Deadline Due to Tanner Scott’s Struggles: Report
Photo Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Have you joined our Discord Channel yet? Be a part of the ultimate Dodgers Nation community and get VIP Nation Access! Don’t miss out on real-time Dodgers talk, call-in access to Dodgers Dougout, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive interviews, giveaways, and more!
Leave a Reply