While the Los Angeles Dodgers made massive moves to upgrade their roster this offseason, they’re still running into some issues this offseason.
Shohei Ohtani was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery this offseason, but as the season has drawn closer, the team decided to ramp him up as a hitter while pushing a temporary pause on his pitching rehab. That leaves him in the opening day lineup as a hitter, but not in the opening day starting rotation.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell make out the first four starters, but without Ohtani, the Dodgers need a fifth starter.
While it seemed like it could and should be right-hander Tony Gonsolin, the 30-year-old recently suffered a back injury while lifting weights, which is going to land him on the injured list to start the year.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale recently reported that the Dodgers had made a decision on who the fifth starter would be following the Gonsolin injury and the Ohtani setback.
“Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin will open the season on the IL, and Dustin May will be the Dodgers’ 5th starter,” Nightengale wrote in a post to X/Twitter.
May hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since May 2023. The righty suffered an elbow injury that resulted in a complex, season-ending surgery. After rehabbing that injury, the 27-year-old suffered a torn esophagus, which ended his 2024 season before he could get back on the mound.
It’s been nearly two years since May has been on a big league mound in a regular season game. His story is nothing short of spectacular. Getting this chance to begin the year in the starting rotation is a huge step in the right direction for May’s return to big league stardom.
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