Dustin May leaves start with shoulder contusion

Talk about pitching with a lead. The Brewers scored two in the first, six in the second, one in the fourth, and eight in the fifth to give May all the run support he’d need. Funny enough, he didn’t need any of it with six scoreless innings. Nasty from the jump, May forced multiple whiffs with five different pitches on his way to 12 total swings-and-misses. He tossed a very even amount of cutters, curveballs, sweepers, and fastballs behind his trusted sinker and to cruise given the circumstances. A bit off since being drilled by a line drive in his start on August 26th, this was a huge step in the right direction for May who’s scheduled to face the Orioles on the road next time out if the Brewers stick with their six-man rotation for another turn.

May served up a solo homer to Elly De La Cruz in the first inning. He then retired all three batters in the second and third before a rain delay cut his start short with two outs in the fourth. May would leave two runners on. One would come in to score following the two-hour delay. May struck out five. The 29-year-old right-hander will take a 4.69 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 127/45 K/BB ratio across 132 1/3 innings into a start against the Reds in Milwaukee next Saturday.

May had decent enough stuff today after leaving his last start because a comebacker got him in the shoulder, but the five hard-hit balls he allowed all did damage, turning into a homer, three doubles and a single, and he hurt the cause by walking three batters and hitting another. He dropped to 6-9 with a 4.69 ERA. He’ll face the Reds next weekend.

May was pulled from Wednesday’s start against the Mets after he was drilled in the shoulder by a 106-mph line drive off the bat of Mets’ outfielder A.J. Ewing on the very first pitch of the ballgame. It sounds like there’s a realistic possibility that the Brewers will turn him loose on Sunday while shifting the rest of the rotation back a day.

Ouch. May was struck in the upper back near his right shoulder by a 106-mph line drive from Mets rookie A.J. Ewing on his very first pitch of the game. He was immediately replaced by lefty Robert Gasser. He’ll undergo further evaluation and likely imaging to determine whether he suffered a serious injury. There should be an update on his status after the game.

The Mariners jumped all over May here with four hits and four runs in the first inning. The struggles didn’t stop there either, as he was through 53 pitches with zero outs in the second inning. By the time that frame ended, the Mariners had seven runs on the board, May had thrown 66 pitches, and he was mercifully pulled from this game before the third. He had absolutely no feel for his cutter or sweeper and without those, couldn’t do much. This was his first clunker since being acquired by the Brewers at the deadline and we’re hoping he can put this poor start behind him quickly. Next up, he’s scheduled to face the Mets on the road.

May was tested in the fourth, when he walked the leadoff man and gave up a single with one out. He then induced a double play ball, only for David Hamilton to botch it at short and get no outs. So, May just went and got another double play ball, and the defense converted it this time. It was the third time this year that May completed seven innings. The first time, in May, he was facing the Brewers team he pitched for today. The second time was his one-hit shutout in June against the team he faced today. He’ll take on the Mariners next.

May, acquired from the Cardinals on Monday, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five to win for the first time since his one-hit shutout of the Padres back on June 15. He’s allowed just three runs over 17 innings in his last five starts, taking his ERA back down to 4.30. He’s set to face the Padres next week, and given how well his previous two starts this year went against them, he seems like a decent streaming option.

May might have peaked in May, but he’s still done quite well in posting a 2.92 ERA with 28 strikeouts over 24 2/3 innings in his last five starts. The Brewers don’t ask for lengthy outings from their starters, which should work in May’s favor. His fantasy value should increase a tad with the deal, though there is the risk that the Brewers will occasionally pull him with a lead in the fifth. The Brewers will have to decide whether to go to a six-man rotation for now or to have May replace Robert Gasser.

Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale are going to St. Louis, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. May could replace Robert Gasser in the Brewers rotation or the team could shift back to a six-man setup for now. Romero will take some pressure off Aaron Ashby in relief once he comes off the IL.