Dodgers: Dustin May Prefers to Start But Remains Open-Minded
Dodgers top pitching prospect Dustin May is beginning his acclimation process to a full-time bullpen role to potentially help in that area come October.
Rocky in Relief
The relief debut was rocky compared to what we had seen from Big Red in his previous three outings. He tossed two innings, but allowed four earned runs on one swing by Rafael Ortega for the grand slam. His command was off from the start as the start of his appearance went walk, hit, hit batter. They all scored.
Dustin May was interviewed on MLB Network Radio recently and discussed the move the bullpen and his thoughts regarding it:
#Dodgers Dustin May would "definitely prefer to start," but he's "excited" to take on his new bullpen role. #LABleedsBlue pic.twitter.com/BNZdqkOBLE
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) August 19, 2019
Dustin May Prefers to Start
It is no surprise to hear that May prefers starting to relieving. It is what he is comfortable with and the role he was brought up through the system in. Here are his thoughts:
“I would definitely prefer to start, but I’m here to do whatever they need me to do. If they need me out of the bullpen, I’m definitely prepared to take on that role.”
The Dodgers seem to be treating May in the same fashion as they treated Walker Buehler when he first arrived — hoping he can be successful off of purely raw stuff out of the bullpen in October. Hearing that May is open to the idea of the role is expected, but to see him work his way into the true bullpen mix down the stretch will be fun. He is expected to assume the long relief role of Julio Urías for the next fifteen games following the Urías suspension.
[adace-ad id=”113538″]“I’m excited to see how I adjust and take on a different circumstance.
Dustin May Talks About Dave Roberts
When asked about Dave Roberts, Dustin May exemplified the level of trust that already exists in the player-manager relationship the two have:
“He has informed me that he has my back and he has my 100% trust. He is informed in everything that I am doing and he wants me to go out and succeed as much as I do. He loves the fight that I have.”
A player’s manager like Dave Roberts is quite frankly the best thing possible for a rookie of Dustin May’s ilk: fire, desire, and will.
May should be a starter and Gonsolin a reliever. Gonsolin has done it before and May has not been a reliever in his young career. These two players should have had reverse roles Sunday and we would have won.We could’ve tied the Yankees for best record and that’s why every game matters. Home field is a huge advantage in the playoffs and World Series. Let’s stop the experimenting as we all saw what happened to the Joc Peterson at first base fiasco.
They’re messing with his head. See Ross Stripling.
I agree Gonsolin should be relieving and May starting if he is more comfortable in that role. Stop experimenting and get ready for the playoffs. Get all you players in playoff mode. No more experimenting but, give them some days off. Don’t over work your starters.