Dodgers: Dustin May Progressing in Recovery from Tommy John Surgery

Dustin May made his first step towards his return from Tommy John surgery.

Losing Dustin May last year played in a big role in the Dodgers starting pitching unraveling in October. May would have been an invaluable arm to have in last year's NLCS.

Prior to his injury last season, May was establishing himself as one of the better young starting pitchers in the league. He posted a 2.74 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in five starts before suffering a torn UCL in a May start in Milwaukee. 

He underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after and has been recovering ever since. This week, May took the mound and threw some pitches while the team was in Arizona. The pitcher noted that he's thrown eight different bullpen sessions with each session consisting of 25-30 pitches.

It's a big step for May. Typically, the recovery period for Tommy John can be anywhere from 12-18 months. May is weeks away from hitting the one year mark. 

In classic Dodgers fashion, the team has been mum on when May might make his season debut. Some insiders have suggested that the right-handed pitcher will be back sometime after the All-Star break. Which could pencil out to a late-July or August return.

Those same experts have also noted that its highly likely that May returns as a reliever, and not as a starter. From Julio Urías to Walker Buehler, the Dodgers have a long history of being exceedingly cautious with young pitchers coming off of serious injuries. 

We'll be sure to keep you updated with additional May status reports.