Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Dustin May exited Wednesday night's game against the New York Mets after just one pitch, suffering a bruised right scapula. The incident occurred in the bottom of the first inning at Citi Field when May was struck by a 106 mph line drive hit by Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing.
May attempted to continue after the hit, throwing a few warm-up pitches following an examination by trainers and manager Pat Murphy. However, he ultimately determined he was not right to pitch further. "When I threw it, it felt fine," May said. "But sitting there for a couple seconds after — threw the next one and it didn’t feel right. They were more on the cautious side of, better to be safe now and protect you for later."
The pitcher expressed optimism about his recovery, stating, "I think it all just depends on how I feel (Thursday). Right now, with motions and movements and stuff, feel better now that I know nothing is structurally wrong."
With May out of the game early, Robert Gasser entered the game from the bullpen, making his major league relief debut. Gasser pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run. He was followed by relievers Grant Anderson and Bryse Wilson, who combined for 3 1/3 shutout innings.
May, acquired by the Brewers from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, has made 25 starts this season. He holds a 6-8 record with a 4.56 earned run average through 124 1/3 innings pitched.
The Brewers, who won the game 8-1, will aim to win the three-game series against the Mets on Thursday. The Brewers currently have an 82-51 record, while the Mets are 60-73.