Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May recently opened up about a life-altering medical emergency that derailed his 2024 season, sharing the details of a freak accident that required emergency surgery. The 26-year-old right-hander, who had already faced significant challenges during the 2023 season with flexor tendon and Tommy John surgeries, encountered an unexpected setback in July while rehabbing at the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility in Arizona.
May recounted the incident, which occurred after a dinner outing on July 10. A seemingly harmless bite of salad turned dangerous when a piece of lettuce became lodged in his throat, leading to a severe tear in his esophagus. “It was definitely a life-altering event,” May told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s not a very common surgery. It was definitely an emergency. I probably wouldn’t have made it through the night if I didn’t have it.“
Initially dismissing the intense pain as temporary, May returned home, believing he was fine. “I’m not a big panicker,” he explained. “It kind of chilled out. So I was like, ‘I’m fine. I don’t need to do anything.‘” However, his wife, Millie, urged him to seek medical attention, a decision that likely saved his life. Doctors discovered that the lodged lettuce had caused a rare food impaction, perforating his esophagus and necessitating immediate surgery.
Dustin May’s harrowing experience: from salad to surgery
The procedure, described by May as “basically a full abdominal surgery,” left him with a vertical scar stretching from his lower chest to his stomach and required six months of recovery. During that time, May was restricted from lifting weights heavier than 10 pounds, a frustrating limitation for an elite athlete. “It was extremely frustrating,” he admitted. “You can’t plan for it. You can’t try to prevent it. It just happened.“
By November, May began minimal throwing activities and gradually regained his strength by New Year’s. Reflecting on the ordeal, he shared how the experience reshaped his perspective on life and baseball. “It just kind of gives me a different viewpoint on a lot of things in life,” he said. “Just seeing how something so non-baseball-related can just be like – it can be gone in a second.“
Now fully recovered, May is focused on preparing for the Dodgers’ opening series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19. He has resumed pitching during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch, ready to contribute to his team’s success in the upcoming season.
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