Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that May will begin the season as the Dodgers' fifth starter, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Analysis: May had been battling Tony Gonsolin for the final spot in Los Angeles' rotation, but with the latter set to begin the season on the IL due to a back injury, May will officially claim the final spot. He won't travel with the team to Japan for the Tokyo Series against Chicago, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. The 27-year-old righty will instead remain in Arizona to continue ramping up for the start of the domestic season.
Dustin May Fares well in audition for rotation
May pitched three scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against Texas on Thursday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out three batters.
Analysis: May and Tony Gonsolin are the leading candidates to claim the Dodgers' final rotation spot, so any outing by either pitcher carries a bit more weight than a typical spring appearance. May helped his case in his third Cactus League appearance, and while his control wasn't great -- he threw 27 of 50 pitches for strikes -- the right-hander sat in the mid-90s with his fastball. May allowed four runs (three earned) over one-plus frame against the Angels in his last start, so this rebound was encouraging. The most important thing for the 27-year-old will be to stay healthy, as he missed all of 2024 and has yet to throw more than 56 innings in a big-league season since making his debut with the Dodgers in 2019.
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