LOS ANGELES — Dodgers pitcher Dustin May will undergo season-ending surgery on his right elbow, the Dodgers announced Tuesday.
The procedure will take place July 18, and will repair a grade 1 sprain to May’s flexor tendon, as well as a grade 2 sprain to May’s ulnar collateral ligament, according to a person with knowledge of the situation unauthorized to speak publicly.
May’s initial recovery timeline is expected to be about 9 1/2 months, the person said. He will likely be out of game action until next June or July.
May first suffered his injury during a start May 17, when he exited an outing early with what the team termed a flexor pronator strain in his elbow.
The Dodgers’ initial hope was that May would be able to return sometime during the second half of the season, optimistic that a platelet-rich plasma injection he had after the initial injury could prevent him from surgery.
More than six weeks later, though, the hard-throwing right-hander had yet to start throwing a baseball again — his injury having failed to heal enough to avoid surgery.
Tuesday’s announcement marked the latest setback in May’s injury-plagued career.
A former third-round pick who established himself in the majors with strong performances in 2019 and 2020, May had to undergo Tommy John surgery just five starts into his 2021 campaign.
That injury kept him until last August, when he made a brief (and inconsistent) return to the Dodgers’ rotation — he had a 4.50 earned-run average in six starts — before missing the final couple of weeks of the season because of a back injury.
This season, May had relished his return to health. In nine starts, he was 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA. Though he wasn’t striking out as many batters, his fastball was averaging 97 mph and his 0.938 WHIP was best among the Dodgers’ rotation.
Now, a team that was already dealing with a bevy of pitching injuries will have to navigate May’s setback, as well.
Clayton Kershaw is out because of shoulder soreness, though he is expected back after the All-Star break. Julio Urías only recently returned from a hamstring strain. Noah Syndergaard is nearing a rehab assignment, though he’ll need to showcase improved stuff after his disastrous start to the season before the club considers bringing him back to the big league roster.
Amid those absences, the team has leaned on several rookie arms, with Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove occupying spots in their rotation.
May’s surgery will only exacerbate those issues, further underlining the club’s need to either find starters internally to count on down the stretch of the season, or seek a starting pitcher ahead of next month’s trade deadline.
