LOS ANGELES — Dave Roberts spoke carefully when talking about his team’s plans for Dustin May, and understandably so.
Roberts wouldn’t say the Dodgers are counting on May to start games for them in the postseason. He wouldn’t say they view him as an insurance policy for Clayton Kershaw. He wouldn’t say they are expecting him to replace Walker Buehler.
The manager didn’t have to say any of that.
The Dodgers already did, with what they did at the trade deadline — or, more specifically, with what they didn’t do.
They didn’t trade for a starter.
Fifteen months after his right elbow was surgically reconstructed, the 24-year-old May returned to the mound on Saturday and struck out nine batters over five scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins.
What his return signified wasn’t lost on the Dodger Stadium audience, which typically spends its nights batting around beach balls and performing the wave.
May represents the latest gamble made by an organization known for making oversized wagers with pitching, from the use of Julio Urias as a part-time closer in its championship season in 2020 to the look-at-how-smart-we-are schemes that backfired spectacularly last year.
The game on Saturday was only the 20th start of May’s career.
“I understand that,” Roberts said. “And I think the organization understands that. He hasn’t pitched in a over a year in a major league game.
“So, what we’re trying to do now is give him the best chance to have success, whatever that means.”
On the other hand …
… did you watch him pitch?
Four of the 71 pitches May delivered against the Marlins were clocked at 99.0 mph or faster. Another dozen were clocked at 98.0 mph-plus.
And his pitches moved violently, his sinker tailing this way and his slider breaking that way.
“As far as pure talent,” Roberts said, “he’s a game-changer.”
Here, too, Roberts was quick to include disclaimers.
“He just hasn’t had a ton of experience,” Roberts said. “As you know, certainly, it takes talent, but you also have to be in big-league situations and navigate big-league hitters to be a game-changer. So I think as far as talent alone, and what he’s done in spurts at the big-league level, have been fantastic. I just don’t want to be the one to put any undue expectations on him solely on talent.”
Roberts didn’t have to. The front office has already done that.
With Buehler scheduled to undergo a season-ending operation to repair a flexor tendon in his right arm, the Dodgers are expected to name Urias their No. 1 starter in the postseason.
Tony Gonsolin should be a lock to start, as should Kershaw, provided he is healthy. Roberts said his preference was for May to start rather than pitch in relief.
“I think the most important thing is Dustin’s health,” Roberts said. “Trying to get him regimented, on some type of predictable schedule, gives him the best chance to perform and be healthy. So, obviously, that leads to being a starter.”
Tyler Anderson started his season with two appearances as a long reliever and could be asked to move into the bullpen.
There will be only one day off in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series — Games 3 to 7 will be played on consecutive days — and a fifth starter will be required if the series extends to seven games.
In other words, if the Dodgers decide to start Anderson instead of May in the NLDS, May could very well start a winner-take-all Game 7 in the NLCS.
The final six weeks of the regular season will serve as an audition of sorts for May.
“I think the one part of it is that we have enough of a runway to get his feet wet, give a runway to then to then have a better idea of what we’re going to get in October,” Roberts said. “That’s one part. The other part is that he’s already pitched in the World Series. The most important part is his confidence in his own abilities. This is a very confident young man who doesn’t run from it. I think that having a person believe in what he can do and surpass any expectation that we might have for him, I think that gives us all the confidence.”
At this point, the Dodgers don’t have a choice. They could have traded for another starter. They didn’t. Instead, they bet on May’s talent.
