LOS ANGELES – Fourteen months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Dodgers right-hander Dustin May is “close” to taking the final step in his rehab.
May has been throwing to hitters in live batting sessions at Camelback Ranch for three weeks now. The next step — and final one before he would be ready to rejoin the Dodgers — will be to start a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment and pitch in games for the first time since May 2021.
“He’ll be going out on rehab fairly soon as long as he continues to feel good,” Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said. “It could be a week, could be more than that. We’re just trying to make sure that we’re checking all the boxes before putting a strict timeline on it.”
When May does return to game action it will likely start in the Arizona Complex League. How long that rehab assignment will last will be determined by how May recovers each time.
But, as they have from the start of his rehab, the Dodgers remain committed to bringing the 24-year-old May back as a starting pitcher.
“He’s a starting pitcher in our mind,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this week. “Now if we get to October and based on different factors, we might reconsider that. But coming back when he does, we view him as a starting pitcher and to the extent that we can continue to build him up without any setbacks then he’ll be built up like a starting pitcher. If we have any setbacks then maybe we’ll bring him back earlier in a different role. But our plan is to build him up, have him start for us and then evaluate as we go.”
The “different factors” that could change the Dodgers’ plan with May would include whether they add bullpen help before the trade deadline and whether Blake Treinen returns successfully from his shoulder injury and rejoins the bullpen. Treinen has recently begun throwing off a mound for the first time since April and is projected to return in August.
If May does return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation during the regular season, that wouldn’t preclude a bullpen role during the postseason – something the Dodgers have done with starting pitchers every October under Friedman. That role would have to take into account May’s health returning from elbow surgery.
“I think it wouldn’t be the same usage as a more conventional reliever,” Friedman said. “But something similar to what we did with Julio (Urias) in ‘18.”
Urias returned from shoulder surgery in September 2018, making just three relief appearances before the end of the regular season. He made seven relief appearances that October, none longer than an inning and on consecutive days only twice.
DUFFY STATUS
Alongside May at Camelback Ranch but slightly behind in his throwing program, left-hander Danny Duffy continues his recovery from flexor tendon surgery last November.
Duffy is throwing bullpen sessions but hasn’t begun throwing to hitters yet.
The Dodgers are still confident Duffy will return before the end of the regular season with the potential to be “a real impact reliever,” Gomes said. Duffy is not considered a candidate to return as a starting pitcher.
“That’s the hope,” Gomes said of Duffy returning before the end of the season. “Whether that’s August, September – our expectation is he’ll be pitching for us this season.
“Just trying to make sure we do it right with an eye toward October.”
Duffy, 33, has not pitched in a game since the Dodgers acquired him from the Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline last season.
STAR SEVEN
The Dodgers had two players voted in as starters for this year’s All-Star Game – shortstop Trea Turner and outfielder Mookie Betts. But manager Dave Roberts said he thinks there are seven Dodgers deserving of All-Star recognition this year.
“I could get on my soapbox and have a case for each one and I think it would be valid,” Roberts said. “I might be a little biased but I really believe it’s just stating facts. I really believe seven guys deserve an opportunity to represent the Dodgers.”
Roberts didn’t name them all but he was likely referring to Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman in addition to Turner and Betts.
The All-Star pitching staffs and reserves will be named Sunday.
GRATEROL AVAILABLE
Reliever Brusdar Graterol said he was “all good” and has had no recurrence of the cramp in his right side that caused him to leave Thursday’s game.
Roberts acknowledged the fear at the time was that Graterol had suffered an oblique muscle injury and would be sidelined for some time. But Graterol has thrown each day since with no discomfort.
“We did dodge a bullet,” Roberts said. “He said it was a cramp. We were still cautious. That’s what it proved to be which is great. … All the tests, throwing, he’s been great.”
The Dodgers had Reyes Moronta rejoin the team on the taxi squad in case Graterol had to go on the Injured List.
UP NEXT
Cubs (TBA) at Dodgers (LHP Julio Urias, 7-6, 2.57 ERA), Sunday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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