Dustin May Dominates in Emotional Return After 22-Month Absence
Dustin May has long been considered a high-upside arm, but injuries have repeatedly stalled his rise in the Dodgers’ rotation. After missing the entire 2024 season due to elbow surgery, May returned to the mound with an impressive debut against Atlanta, showing glimpses of the electric stuff that once made him a top prospect.
In the early draft season, May was part of a cloudy equation in the Dodgers starting rotation. In addition, he’s only pitched 191.2 innings in the majors over six seasons while having two surgeries on his right elbow (TJ on May 11th in 2021 and flexor tendon repair in July of 2023). He didn’t pitch for the Dodgers last year.
Dustin May makes his emotional return to the Dodger Stadium mound tonight after 685 days on the comeback trail 👏 pic.twitter.com/XmkQqRmrJa
— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2025
In his first start at home against the struggling Braves, May tossed five shutout innings with four baserunners and six strikeouts. His fastball was clocked in the mid-90s, while his sweeper was his top pitch, with over 35% usage. On the downside, May had a low strike percentage (56.8).
In his first Major League game since May 17, 2023, Dustin May strikes out the side to start the game! pic.twitter.com/wIR4sIQI8p
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 2, 2025
May’s return to the mound was an encouraging step, but his long-term outlook remains uncertain given his injury history and command issues. If he can stay healthy and refine his control, he has the potential to be a key piece of the Dodgers' rotation and a valuable asset for fantasy managers looking for upside. Given the Dodgers' high-potent offense, May should be in line for a ton of wins in 2025 with so much run support.
More Fantasy Baseball News:
Shane Baz Shines in MLB Return: Fantasy Baseball Impact
Jurickson Profar Suspended 80 Games: Fantasy Baseball Impact
Fantasy Baseball Takeaways: Michael Busch, Devin Williams, More
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.