LOS ANGELES — Dustin May hopped, skipped, jumped off the mound. He might as well have floated. It’s been nearly two years since the Los Angeles Dodgers starter had last pitched in a major-league game, and he bears the scars of a 22-month trek that nearly cost him his life well after it threatened his livelihood. His elbow has twice been repaired. A dinner out with his wife on July 10 nearly cost him much more, with one bad bite of lettuce forcing him into emergency surgery to repair a torn esophagus.
Now, 265 days have passed since the night that altered May’s life forever. Staring down death made Tuesday’s assignment easy, all things considered. He returned to the mound in a 3-1 win against the Atlanta Braves, hoping to do what his body has robbed him of doing for much of his big league career: pitch, and showcase some of the most dominant arsenal this sport has.
He was back.
When he froze Michael Harris II with a 96 mph sinker at the top of the zone to start the night, he slapped the outside of his glove and looked to the sky. When Austin Riley swung through strike three right afterward, a crowd aware of May’s journey began to crackle with anticipation. When a sweeper caught the outside corner for strike three to Matt Olson and May finished striking out the side, he…
