Dodgers’ Dustin May takes comebacker off his foot in loss to Diamondbacks
PHOENIX — It wasn’t as scary as a comebacker off the head, but it could be more concerning for the Dodgers’ long-term plans.
Pitcher Dustin May left Thursday’s 5-2 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks before the second inning after taking a line drive off the inside of his left foot.
Manager Dave Roberts said an initial X-ray on May’s foot came back inconclusive and believes the pitcher will have a CT scan in Los Angeles on Friday, the team’s day off.
“Right now, I’m sure he’s just sore,” Roberts said. “We’ll know significantly more after the test tomorrow.”
It’s the second time in two seasons May has been hit at the Diamondbacks’ home park. Last September, the rookie writhed in pain on the Chase Field mound after a ball ricocheted off his head. On the second pitch of Thursday’s outing, he limped off the mound after Josh Rojas’ 91.2-mph exit velocity liner struck his exposed left landing leg.
Walker Buehler is on the injured list for the second time this year because of a finger blister. It appeared to bother him Tuesday when he gave up five runs.
Roberts and a trainer initially allowed May to remain in the game and finish the first inning. As May warmed up for the bottom of the second, however, Roberts returned to the mound. After a brief conversation, May was removed and walked gingerly back to the clubhouse. The team officially described May’s injury as a left foot contusion.
Roberts told SportsNet LA that May was “not really landing and getting over that front side” during the warmup tosses. Taking May out “was a no-brainer,” he added.
The Dodgers’ rotation was already facing questions to begin the night. On Thursday afternoon, the team put Walker Buehler on the 10-day injured list for the second time this season because of a right index finger blister.
Roberts said Buehler could have continued to play if needed but will benefit more from the controlled environment of simulated games where his finger can be safely covered.
“Not trying to get it any worse than it is right now,” Roberts said. “It’s manageable. ... The main thing is, we keep it covered and get that finger to heal.”
But Buehler was already penciled into the Dodgers’ playoff rotation. May, on the other hand, was still challenging for a postseason starting spot.
Any extended absence would consequential for a Dodgers team that subtracted from its pitching staff at the trade deadline by shipping versatile veteran Ross Stripling to Toronto.
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts was drafted as an infielder but hasn’t started in the infield since his rookie season. That changed Thursday against Arizona.
They weren’t guessing they’d find themselves so quickly short-handed, especially in the short term after Tony Gonsolin pitched five innings of relief Thursday. With less than three weeks to go in the regular season, they can only hope a wrench hasn’t been thrown into their postseason pitching plans.
“We’ll get [Buehler] where he needs to be so there’s not a level of concern [with him] and I thought Tony was good,” Roberts said of the suddenly banged up rotation. “I think it will be more telling with Dustin tomorrow, but I still feel very confident.”
Betts plays second
For the first time in six seasons, Mookie Betts on Thursday started a game at second base, getting reacquainted with the position to maximize the Dodgers’ potential roster versatility for the postseason.
Though the former fifth-round pick was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox as an infielder, he had manned his original position only once in the last six years. However, Roberts said Betts talked with him a couple of weeks ago about possible playoff situations that could require the four-time Gold Glover to move to second base. Thursday was the first of potentially multiple trial runs for Betts at the spot.
“I just felt this was a good opportunity for him to log some innings, get the feel of it, and see what he thinks,” Roberts said.
Takeaways for Dodgers
- AJ Pollock continued doing damage against his former team. After entering the night hitting .297 with six RBIs against Arizona (five of which had come at Chase Field), Pollock combined with Corey Seager for back-to-back solo homers in the third for the Dodgers’ only runs.
- The Dodgers faced an old nemesis, tagging former Giants ace Madison Bumgarner with two runs and seven hits over five innings in their first game facing him as a member of the Diamondbacks. Entering the night, Bumgarner was 15-14 against the Dodgers in his career with a 2.72 ERA.
- Tony Gonsolin took the loss after giving up the game’s three deciding runs in the sixth inning, but he saved the bulk of the bullpen with five innings of relief. With Gonsolin burned, the Dodgers’ upcoming rotation beyond Saturday, when Julio Urías will start the series opener against Houston, is unclear.
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