(Via @Dodgers)
The Dodgers continued their undefeated season with a 6-1 win last night over Atlanta. Tyler Glasnow tossed five shutout innings, and other than health concern for Freddie Freeman and another run allowed by Tanner Scott, things seems to be going pretty well in LA. Atlanta on the other hand, yikes. They’re 0-5 for the first time since 2016 when they started the season with nine straight losses. They followed that up with four straight wins before another eight game losing streak. They finished 68-93 that season and fired manager Fredi Gonzalez after a 9-28 start. They didn’t have Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider returning in 2016, so things should end up better for them this season. Tonight could be an opportunity for their first win, as their reigning Cy Young winner squares off against a guy that hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since May 17, 2023.
7:10 P.M. Los Angeles CF Harris II (L) DH Ohtani (L) 3B Riley SS Betts 1B Olson (L) 2B Edman (S) DH Ozuna RF T. Hernández 2B Albies (S) C Smith C Baldwin (L) 1B K. Hernández RF De La Cruz 3B Rojas LF Kelenic (L) CF Pages SS Allen LF Taylor P Sale (L) P May (R) Dustin May makes his return to the bump after nearly two years worth of injuries. May had surgery on his flexor tendon in 2023 that kept him sidelined for roughly a year. He was in line to start a rehab assignment last season, but suffered a torn esophagus while eating a salad and nearly died. So yeah, it’s been a long road back for the former highly-touted prospect. May seemed like a likely candidate to start the season in the bullpen, but a Tony Gonsolin back injury gave May the number five spot in the rotation to start the year. May had a pretty good Spring, allowing four runs in 10 innings over four outings. He struck out 12 but did walk six, which some command issues were probably expected after his lengthy absence.
May has pitched in parts of five Major League seasons. His only “full” season came in the covid year, and he posted a 2.57 ERA in 56 innings and came in fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. His 2021 was strong but cut short by Tommy John surgery, and he returned in 2022 and struggled in 30 innings late in the season. His 2023 season was off to a strong start with a 2.63 ERA in nine starts, but another arm injury ended his season early again. It’s tough to parse too much out of May’s Savant page given the small sample sizes every year, but velocity has always been his top tool. May has averaged 96 MPH or faster on his sinker in each of his five Major League seasons and throws two other types of fastball (four seamer that averages a tick higher and a cutter that’s a generally few MPH lower). May’s velo was down across the board in 2023 (possibly due to injury), averaging “only” 96.6 on the sinker and 97.3 on the four seamer. Despite what should be overpowering stuff, May has never been much of a strikeout pitcher. He’ll get some strikeouts where he makes hitters look absolutely foolish, but has only posted higher than a 23 percent strikeout rate once in five years.
Chris Sale gets the ball for Atlanta and is coming off an incredible season of beating the washed allegations. Sale posted a 4.30 ERA over 20 starts in 2023 for the Red Sox, who traded him in the offseason to Atlanta for Vaughn Grissom. Grissom posted a .758 OPS in AAA last season, and Sale won the NL Cy Young award with a 2.38 ERA/2.09 FIP and 225 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings. Sale allowed two or fewer runs in 26 of his 29 starts and completed seven or more innings 13 times. He only allowed nine homers total and allowed a .588 OPS (for reference, Chris Taylor OPS’d .598 last season). Among qualified pitchers, Sale had the highest strikeout rate (32.1 percent) and 12th-lowest walk rate (5.6 percent) in baseball. His 86.5 MPH average exit velocity against was tied for the sixth lowest among pitchers with over 350 batted balls against and only three pitchers had a better hard hit rate than Sale’s 31.2 percent. The Dodgers saw Sale in September in Atlanta and scored a run and five hits over six innings. Sale got the Opening Day start last week in San Diego and allowed three runs over five innings and struck out seven.
Sale threw his slider 40.3 percent of the time last season and only allowed a .171 average off it. He only allowed 14 extra base hits off the slider and only one of those left the park. It also came with a 42.7 percent whiff rate, which seems good. He threw a four-seamer 38 percent of the time, a changeup 14.7 percent of the time and a sinker 6.9 percent.
Freeman remains out of the lineup with Enrique Hernandez getting another start at first. Miguel Rojas starts at third for Max Muncy, and Taylor gets his first start of the season.
——
Freeman is aiming to play tomorrow, but could be given another day off and return Friday in Philadelphia.
Freddie Freeman was obviously frustrated about re-injuring his ankle slipping in the shower this weekend, but he said he’s already feeling better and is going to go through a full day of work today
He’s hoping to play tomorrow, but said the team might push his return to Friday
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) April 1, 2025
Things we’ve learned in this thread. Showers are dangerous and salads are dangerous.
——
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.
