Dustin May took a baseball off the foot Thursday night. Not just any baseball. A 105-mile-an-hour comebacker that hit him hard enough to bounce all the way to right field. The result was a three-run double for the Braves and an early exit for the Cardinals starter. Somehow, St. Louis still won 11-5.
The play happened in the first inning. May threw a pitch that Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies hammered right back up the middle. It caught May square on the shin area near his right ankle. The ball caromed into right field and two runners scored. Another came home on a fielder’s choice later in the inning. May managed just two outs and was charged with five earned runs before getting the hook.
But here’s the part that matters: May’s foot is not broken. X-rays came back negative, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals caught a break, because it could have been a lot worse.
May said the area is still “soft” and sore, according to Goold. The team will monitor his pain tolerance over the next few days. He might miss his next start, but there’s no structural damage. That’s about as good as you can hope for when a guy takes a 105-mph ball off the bone.
What this means for the Cardinals rotation
St. Louis is fighting for a playoff spot in the National League, so losing a starter for any extended stretch would sting. May has made 16 starts for the Cardinals this season. His ERA jumped from 4.30 to 4.80 after Thursday’s abbreviated outing, but underlying numbers suggest he’s pitched better than that. His strikeout rate is solid. His walk rate is manageable. The Cardinals have leaned on him as a reliable mid-rotation arm.
The team hasn’t announced a starter for May’s next turn in the rotation. If he can’t go, they’ll likely call on someone from the bullpen or a spot starter from Triple-A Memphis. But given the positive X-rays, there’s optimism he won’t be sidelined long.
Fans online noticed how quickly May reacted after taking the hit. He didn’t collapse or shout in pain. He hopped a few times, then bent over and collected himself. That composure might have saved him from a worse outcome. Sometimes the body’s adrenaline masks the damage. In this case, the tests confirmed what his reaction suggested: nothing broke.
The Cardinals will take the win and the good news. They’ll probably take it extra slow with May, too. Because a pitcher with a tender ankle isn’t the same pitcher. And if they want to hang around in the wild card race, they’ll need the real Dustin May, not a hobbled version.
Leave a Comment