World Series Champion Pitcher's 2023 Season Ends On Sour Note Due To Injury

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be missing another pitcher following reports that Dustin May will undergo season-ending surgery to address the flexor tendon in his right elbow.

Dodgers team physician, Dr. Neal ElAttrache will reportedly perform the surgery in Los Angeles this month according to the Associated Press.

The 25-year-old pitcher suffered from a right flexor pronator strain when he started for the Dodgers last May 17. This forced the 2020 World Series champion out after one inning.

May got an injection of platelet-rich plasma for his elbow but was shut down from throwing. The Texas native would then be placed on the 60-day injured list by the Dodgers.

The injury bug continues to hound May, who missed much of the 2021 and 2022 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

May has made a total of just 20 starts over the past three seasons, going 7-5 with a 3.21 ERA in 101 innings.

This season, the 25-year-old was 4-1 and had a 2.6 ERA in nine starts. However, his velocity noticeably dropped last May 17 against the Minnesota Twins, the time when he was believed to have sustianed the injury.

The ideal recovery time from flexor tendon surgery usually pans from six to nine months. However, the Dodgers did not provide a timeline on when they expect the pitcher will be back.

The right-handed pitcher was first called up by the Dodgers in 2019. May was the team's opening day starter in that pandemic-delayed campaign.

That honor also made May the youngest Los Angeles pitcher to get that honor since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

May becomes the latest pitcher to be taken out for the Dodgers. Others who were hit by injuries include Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw.

Buehler has not pitched this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, he is hoping to return for the Dodgers at some point this MLB season.

Urias, on the other hand, recently returned to the rotation. But he has yet to recall his old form after struggling in his first outing coming off the injured list.

For his part, Kershaw was placed on the injured reserve on Monday, July 3 due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder.