For the first time in nearly two years, Dustin May took the mound on Tuesday night for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And May, who struck out the side to begin a start that saw him fan six in five shutout innings, felt a whole host of emotions as he toed the rubber for the first time since a life-threatening incident in July of 2024.
Speaking to reporters after the game, May first joked that he was "pissed" to start the game after the Dodgers played the wrong walkout music. But a more serious May then admitted that "a lot of emotions" were released after he struck out the first batter he faced, Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II.
"It literally meant the world to me to just be back out on the mound. About eight months ago, I didn't know if I would be."
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Dustin May (5 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 1 R, 6 K) speaks to Kirsten Watson and the media after his first regular season start since 2023. pic.twitter.com/N4Ni6KkXsk
"There was definitely a lot of emotions that got let out after the first hitter in the first inning," May said. "Definitely—like I said after my first outing in spring training—it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
"It was just super, super great to be back out there."
May, in his second MLB season during the Dodgers' World Series win in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, emerged as a standout young pitcher in the club's rotation. But a torn ligament in his pitching elbow cut short a promising '21 season, and held him to just six starts the following year in '22. After a strong beginning to the '23 campaign, May's right elbow continued to cause him pain, and the Dodgers hurler in July '23 underwent season-ending surgery on his flexor tendon.
In July of last year, as May was continuing his rehab from the surgery, he went out to dinner with his wife. After taking a bite of the salad he had ordered, a piece of lettuce became stuck in his throat. He attempted to drink some water to clear the piece of salad but that was unsuccessful. The lettuce had become lodged in his throat in an unusual—and life-threatening—way. After heading to the emergency room, he received a CAT scan and later that night underwent emergency surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
May said in February that he "wouldn't have made it through the night" had he not had the procedure.
Now, he is back on the mound and couldn't be more grateful.
"Yeah, I mean, even if it would have went bad, I still would have been having a good time just being back on a big league mound," May said. "It literally meant the world to me just to be back out on the mound. About eight months ago, I didn't know if I would be."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dustin May Reflects on Emotional Return to the Mound After Two Years.
