Dustin May Avoids Major Injury, But Ankle Contusion Clouds Next Start
The Cardinal Chronicle
Dustin May Avoids Major Injury, But Ankle Contusion Clouds Next Start
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have avoided the worst-case scenario with Dustin May, but they are not out of the woods yet.
May left Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning after being struck near the right ankle by a hard comebacker off the bat of Dominic Smith. The ball drilled May in the ankle/shin area, caromed into the outfield and helped fuel Atlanta’s five-run first inning.
The good news came after the game. X-rays were negative, and May was diagnosed with a right ankle contusion. That rules out a fracture, which is the first and most important hurdle. Now the question becomes pain, swelling and whether May can make his next scheduled turn in the rotation.
May initially tried to stay in the game after the line drive hit him. He was checked by manager Oliver Marmol and the training staff, tested the ankle, threw a few warmup pitches and continued for three more batters. At the time, May said his foot had gone numb, which likely masked some of the pain.
Once he got back to the dugout and sat down, the numbness wore off. That is when the pain started to take over.
The injury clearly affected him. May lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks over 34 pitches. It was not a normal outing, and it should not be evaluated like one. He was pitching through an immediate lower-leg injury after already working through traffic in a messy first inning.
The timing is the frustrating part for both May and the Cardinals.
This was May’s first start back after having his previous turn skipped because of lower back tightness. The Cardinals were hoping to get him back on track and rebuild some rhythm heading toward the final stretch before the All-Star break. Instead, they now have another day-to-day situation involving a key rotation arm.
Structurally, the news is encouraging. A contusion is a bruise, not a break. But anyone who has been hit on the ankle by a baseball knows that “just a bruise” can still be a miserable phrase. The ankle is a bad place to take that kind of impact because swelling can limit mobility, balance and drive off the mound.
For May, the next few days will matter. If the swelling comes down and he can push off the rubber without altering his mechanics, he could stay on schedule. If the ankle remains stiff, swollen or painful, the Cardinals may have to push him back again.
That would create another rotation question for a club already trying to navigate a long season with October still in view.
The Cardinals’ bullpen did its job after May exited, keeping Atlanta off the board the rest of the night and giving the offense time to come back in an 11-5 win. That helped soften the immediate blow. But the larger concern remains May’s availability.
For now, the Cardinals can exhale because the X-rays were clean. But they will still be watching closely. A right ankle contusion is not season-ending news, but it is enough to cloud May’s next start and force St. Louis to keep a backup plan ready.
The Cardinals dodged the big injury. Now they wait to see how much pain is left behind for the pitcher, the Cardinals and the fans.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB