Dodgers right-hander Dustin May underwent surgery earlier this week to fix a tear in his esophagus, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The procedure will keep May from returning to the field this season, as Passan writes that May won’t be able to partake in any physical activity over the next two months as part of his recovery.
The esophageal tear didn’t occur due to any baseball-related activity, and Passan notes that “May sought medical attention for pain in his throat and stomach,” which eventually led to the surgery. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (X link) writes that May felt a “sudden pain” while eating dinner earlier this week.
May had yet to pitch in 2024, as he was still rehabbing from a flexor tendon surgery that took place almost exactly a year ago. Unfortunately, this latest injury occurred just as May was nearing a minor league rehab assignment, as he had already been taking part in bullpen sessions and other more advanced ramp-ups. While he still would’ve required a lengthy minor league rehab stint to properly build up his arm, it was expected that May would be back at some point before the end of the season. Returning as a reliever rather than as a starter, for instance, would’ve allowed May to get onto the mound a bit sooner, and he could’ve been a multi-inning relief weapon or an opener for Los Angeles during the playoffs — akin to his usage during the Dodgers’ championship run in 2020.
The 2024 campaign will now go down as a complete wash for May, and the unique nature of this esophageal surgery makes his latest recovery timeline uncertain. Two months of shutdown from all physical activity will entirely reset May’s progress, so between the specific recovery process attached to this surgery and then a traditional ramp-up period, it isn’t clear if May will be ready for Opening Day 2025 or if he’ll yet another lengthy 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 potential that made him a highly-touted prospect during his time in the L.A. farm system. May started 10 of 12 regular-season games in 2020 before primarily working as a reliever to help the Dodgers win a ring that year, but a Tommy John surgery then limited him to 53 regular-season frames in 2021-22. May threw 48 innings over nine starts in 2023 (with a 2.63 ERA) before the surgeries to fix both his flexor tendon and a Tommy John revision to address a Grade 2 UCL sprain.
While it seems as though May’s career has still yet to fully launch, he turns 27 in September and has only one year of arbitration eligibility remaining before entering free agency following the 2025 season. It is too soon to write off May as a productive and effective pitcher going forward once he recovers from his latest procedure, though three major surgeries in a four-year span is certainly as ominous sign for a pitcher who seemed like he was going to be a cornerstone of the Dodgers rotation this decade.
In the short term, the Dodgers now know they won’t getting any 2024 help from one more of the 12 pitchers on their injured list. The incredibly long list includes more than a rotation’s worth of possible starters, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Walker Buehler. All of that quartet are expected to return at some point in the second half, while May joins Emmet Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin in the season-ending injury group. (Shohei Ohtani could be considered a 13th “pitcher” out of action, as while Ohtani continues to excel as a designated hitter, the two-way superstar won’t pitch this season as he recovers from his own elbow surgery last fall.)
Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles has been heavily linked to the starting pitching market as the trade deadline approaches, and it would be a surprise if the Dodgers didn’t land at least one extra arm to help solidify this injury-plagued rotation. Losing May might not impact the Dodgers’ leverage all that much in trade talks since it wasn’t clear how May would be deployed or how much he’d pitch when he did return, yet rival teams are bound to try and score a big return to take advantage of Los Angeles’ obvious need for extra pitching.
Very bizzare.
I actually had this very thing happen to me, it was incredibly painful. I ruptured mine while choking, felt it happen, then immediately started spitting up blood and went to the hospital.
@Joe Sorry to heat you had to go through that. I had just Googled the surgery and read about it. It in no way sounds pleasant.
Thank you kindly! Definitely an experience I wouldn’t suggest for anyone haha.
Get this kid to the White Sox. We’ll get him fixed and ready to get paid from somebody else by 2027.
Wow very scary hopefully he recovers well.
Dude could be great, sadly we’ll probably never know. It’s taken him five years to to pitch basically one full season
Obviously not from any baseball related problem I presume. Will be looking for some more info here.
Deep Throat will have to inform us.
Glass
Ginger
I’ve never heard of someone tearing their esophagus. Unless he’s taken up sword swallowing, had to be something extraordinarily unusual going on.
“the cause of this thing I never heard of is likely very unusual”…. Thanks Dr
I believe Sword Swallowing would violate the risk clause in his contract like Kemp who was off roading and lied and said he was hurt washing his car.
“Kent”
Right. My bad.
Or playing Guitar Hero…
Here solaris….take your pick….
Severe injury or trauma to the esophagus
Violent vomiting
Swallowing cleaning fluids, strong chemicals or a foreign object
Ulcers in the esophagus
Cancer of the esophagus
Lifting a heavy object
Straining during defecation
What about straining to Fart ?
Tide Pod Challenge rears it’s ugly head once more.
It’s what happens when you bite down on it. Or so I’ve heard anyway. LOL
Shame. 1 of my favorite, current time pitchers to watch. Everything he throws is simply electric.
Well he doesn’t throw much, if he’s your fave you should be used to it. This one is weird though
Electric like that Ginger hair?
“Again” would imply that he has pitched this season which he hasn’t.
May will go down as one of the bigger “what if?” Players in MLB history
May be, or May be not….
I see myself out don’t worry.
Was going to say, queue the comments about him being “injury prone” but then the article got ahead of the curve by pretty much making that irresponsible observation before anyone else could.
Irresponsible?? Dude has barely pitched 1 full season over 5 years, accurate is more like it
Dude, this isn’t even close to being a baseball injury.
Which makes it even more worrisome. Dude gets injured just sitting at home
Injury prone doesn’t mean you only get injured during job related activities. It means you tend to encounter more injury troubles than the norm.
Given the fact the dude was eating, felt something off, and now needs throat? surgery to correct the issue, I’d definitely say he’s injury prone.
Oy veh.
Listen, you’re obviously an apologist for the guy, but he doesn’t need one. The point is he doesn’t pitch much because of injuries. Do you have a point to argue that?
A what? Please don’t be insane. Don’t we have enough of that already?
This is a random medical condition not a baseball injury. What do you think a torn esophagus portends, appendicitis? A brain hemorrhage?
How irresponsible of this article to relay facts…
Your argument might make some sense if this non-baseball related injury didn’t happen while he was sidelined by baseball related injuries that have forced him to miss the better part of two seasons.
Once again, you’re avoiding the point. The guy misses a lot of time. That’s an inarguable point regardless of the freak nature of this situation
Look up homer. You certainly are one.
You and the point aren’t in the same zip code. The article refers to this random, entirely non-baseball related medical condition as an “ominous sign.” So it’s completely fair to ask, an ominous sign of what, exactly?
Give to me straight, doc. I gotta know.
🙁
The point is about him missing a lot of games routinely and being prone to injury, which he is. Follow along, please.
Those El Pastor tacos are no joke, probably added too much picante to his dinner tacos.
Dustin May was such a stud pitcher for the Dodgers now they are down to just 1 year of control left over him before free agency. Dude was scary good for them for a minute.
Hey this is serious…I hope all is well and a speedy recovery
Such unfortunate news but it’s a good thing he has access to some really good specialists/surgeons to get him to a full recovery. Best wishes.
Concerned for the man. All the best Dustin.
Hope all goes well.
Somehow not the strangest news story today.
This has just been a wonderful day for Dodger fans. (sarcasm)
Next year is his final year of control before free agency. Baseball being the unpredictable thing that it is probably sees May come back with a vengeance next year throwing 150ish innings with a 2.50 era.
Wouldn’t shock me in the least. Very talented arm whose best days are probably still to come.
Just the thought of tearing my esophagus makes me shiver. That sounds awful, hopefully he makes a quick recovery!
Pretty crazy. When I read that thought it could’ve been something more serious like cancer but hopefully it’s not.
I want the full story. I want to know what he was eating? An overdone, chewy steak? A giant taco? Was it a post-4th of July glass eating contest?
Him and Royce Lewis spend more time on the DL than on the field.
Dude tried to swallow a lobster with the shell still on or what?
Seems to me team control clock should be paused when someone is constantly injured. How can this guy be poised for free agency in a year after giving the team just little snippets?
If this Carrot Top signs back with the Dodgers he’ll dominate. If he goes anywhere else he’ll fail without the cheat lab.