Dustin May closed his eyes, took a breath and held his head suspended toward the heavens.
For a brief moment, shortly before he began warming up for the first inning on Tuesday night, the Dodgers' pitcher seemed to absorb the significance of his milestone moment — reflecting one last time on the 685-day journey that brought him there.
Not since May 17, 2023, had May last stood atop the Dodger Stadium mound. That day, he suffered an elbow injury that led to a flexor tendon surgery and Tommy John revision, the second major arm procedure of his young MLB career.
During the 22 months that followed, the hard-throwing right-hander endured a rehab process of uniquely difficult circumstances, getting close to a return midway through last season before a freak accident at dinner last July forced him into emergency, and season-ending, surgery to repair a frightening esophagus tear.
Read more:One bite of salad derailed Dustin May's return to Dodgers. He's thankful to be back
As May finally worked his way back to full strength this spring, the experience gave the 27-year-old renewed perspective. He was no longer a promising young prospect. He was unable to contribute to the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series championship.
But after so much time away, and such a scary medical saga last summer, he was simply grateful to once again be back on the rubber.
And in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Atlanta Braves — one that extended their perfect start to the season to 7-0 — he marked his long-awaited return with an emotionally stirring performance.
In five innings Tuesday, May gave up just a single unearned run and a solitary second-inning single as his only hit. He struck out six batters. He escaped a couple crucial jams. And most notably, where he once operated with a fiery, boisterous in-game mound presence, he did it all with a calmer, more poised pitch-by-pitch demeanor — beginning a new chapter in his career with newfound maturation.
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“As scary as it was, I think it put some things in perspective for him,” assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness said before first pitch of May’s nearly two-year absence. “We’re just excited and happy that he’s OK. And are pumped to see him pitch.”
Dodgers coaches were once expecting May to return during the second half of last season. In the first week of July, they were mapping out his impending minor-league rehab assignment in pitching department meetings.
But, days away from returning to live game action, May went to dinner in Arizona on July 10 and tore his ...
