It was last in 2021 when the Miami Marlins’ Pablo Lopez left the field after just one pitch. On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Brewers had one of those scary moments when their starter took a 106 mph line drive off the bat of the New York Mets’ leadoff hitter, A.J. Ewing. It couldn’t be anything worse than this for the team.
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The Brewers are currently leading the division with an 82-51 record and are certain to secure a playoff berth. With the postseason a few weeks away, losing a starter to injury would be the worst. Despite the Brewers winning the game 8-1, fans left Citi Field with tense faces.
“Pitcher Dustin May left the game immediately after a hard-hit ball struck his back on the very first pitch,” STX shared the footage via X.
It was a painful night for May.
Just after one pitch in the first inning, Ewing hit straight to May’s 96 mph pitch. As the pitcher turned his back to see the ball move, it hit him on the back. Although he didn’t collapse and stood his ground, his facial expression suggested otherwise.
The ball, after hitting May’s back, went to third baseman David Hamilton. He threw for the first out of the Mets, but May couldn’t move anymore.
Medical staff called in, and while May tried to stay on the field, he eventually left. In between, he kept on taking deep breaths to ease into the pain.
“In the moment, it didn’t feel great. It took my breath away,” May said after the game. “I probably could have finished that inning, but better safe than sorry, not trying to push through it. Right now, I feel OK. It’s just a bruise. No damage or anything structurally, so that’s good.”
May’s X-ray came back negative. The last update from the Brewers concluded it as a right scapula contusion. Yet now, it is up to speculation about his return to action.
“I think it all just depends on how I come into [Thursday] feeling,” May added. “Right now, motions and movements and stuff feel better. Now that I know nothing’s structurally wrong, it’s just more about me being soft or me being OK with it.”
Pitchers getting hit by a line drive could be devastating. Because the ball travels at high speed, like this 106 mph one, and hits the pitcher up close, who is off balnace and completely unprotected.
The Royals placed Seth Lugo on the 7-day IL after he took a line drive in June. He suffered a severe forehead contusion after absorbing a 106.6 mph liner directly to the head. While May’s injury doesn’t look serious, a few games may certainly be missed.
Apart from this scary hit, the game went perfectly for the Brewers.
They replaced May with Robert Gasser, who returned with 6 SOs and 1 ER from his 5.1 innings. Grant Anderson and Bryse Wilson pitched 1.1 and 2.0 innings, respectively, without allowing any runs. David Hamilton, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Christian Yelich all had RBI singles.
But despite the Brewers currently going all guns blazing, their expanding injury list may spell doom on the eve of the postseason.
Brewers’ biggest concern is their injury list
The Brewers are currently 6.5 games ahead of the second-placed Chicago Cubs. Hence, entering the postseason shouldn’t be a concern here, except for their injury list.
Apart from May, whom Milwaukee received from the Cardinals this Trade Deadline, Jake Bauers was also out of the roster on Wednesday after he was diagnosed with shin splints.
Reportedly, Bauers had a swollen foot after a foul ball hit him on Sunday against the Braves. In addition, the lingering shin splints made things worse.
He already missed the first two games in the Mets series, and despite not entering the IL now, the Brewers may need to play without him for a few more games.
Bauers is hitting .272 with 23 HRs in 119 games. So, missing him could prove costly.
Abner Uribe is currently on a minor league rehab assignment as he recovers from a right forearm flexor strain. Until he returns, the Brewers are already missing a 2.05 ERA arm.
Even if May’s injury proves to be a minor one, missing a few games means a lot for the team.
While fans of most other teams are concerned about their playoff eligibility, the Brewers fans may need to look at how early May can get back to action.