Dustin May

Dustin Jake May
(Code Red)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 6", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Northwest High School (Justin)
• Debut August 2, 2019

• Born September 6, 1997 in Justin, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

On July 23, 2020, Dustin May became the first rookie to start on opening day for the Los Angeles Dodgers since Fernando Valenzuela had done so in 1981. He was a late replacement for ace Clayton Kershaw, who had to be scratched from the game against the San Francisco Giants due to back pain. He allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings as the Dodgers went on to win the game, 8-1. May had made his debut in 2019, and made 4 starts among his 14 appearances, going 2-3, 3.63, so he was ahead of Valenzuela, also a last-minute injury replacement, who had been making his first career start. Dustin was considered the Dodgers' top pitching prospect when he was tabbed to make the start. He went 3-1, 2.57 in 12 games including 10 starts in what was his rookie season, pitching 56 innings and striking out 44 batters with 16 walks. In the postseason, he made three starts, one in the Division Series against the San Diego Padres and two against the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. In these two rounds, he was 1-0 with an ERA of 2.34 in 7 2/3 innings. In the 2020 World Series, against the Tampa Bay Rays, his only two outings were in relief and he gave up 3 runs in 3 innings. There was questioning throughout the postseason about why the Dodgers gave so little rope to their two highly talented rookie starting pitchers (Tony Gonsolin was the other), but it was all part of a complex strategy that worked out in spite of some tense moments and brought the Dodgers their first championship since 1988.

In 2021, he was counted on to take a regular turn as a starting pitcher, but after 5 starts, during which he went 1-1, 2.74, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery in early May, putting him on the shelf for a year. He made his return on August 20, 2022, and was excellent, striking out 9 in 5 scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins. He made a total of 6 starts that season, going 2-3, 4.50 and the Dodgers were counting on him to be a mainstay in the starting rotation in 2023. That is exactly what happened in the first six weeks of the season, as he was 4-1, 2.68 after 8 excellent starts. However, on May 17th, he had to leave a start against the Minnesota Twins after just one inning, and he was immediately placed on the injured list. He had to undergo flexor tendon surgery and did not make it back that season, but while undergoing rehab at the Dodgers' training facility in Arizona the following summer, he suffered a freak accident, when a piece of food got caught in his throat and his esophagus was torn, a potentially life-threatening condition. He had to undergo emergency surgery, spent 11 days in hospital. That put an end to any hope of coming back in 2024, and as a result he was on the sidelines as the team won its second championship in five years. The only good side was that it gave his elbow more time to rest, and by the time he arrived for spring training in 2025, he was back at full strength and feeling pain-free for the first time in years.

Notable Achievements

• Won one World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020

Further Reading

• Jack Harris (Los Angeles Times): "Dustin May's mound maturity is improving, even if his cursing is a work in progress", Yahoo! News, March 13, 2023. [1]
• Jack Magruder: "'A new beginning': May returns to mound after life-threatening moment", mlb.com, February 23, 2025. [2]
• Juan Toribio: "'A big blow': Phenom May set for TJ surgery", mlb.com, May 3, 2021. [3]

Related Sites

• Dustin May on mlb.com