Dustin May’s Miraculous Esophagus Tear: A Life-Altering Event
In the midst of his valiant return from injury, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May faced an unexpected and life-threatening ordeal that forever altered his life and career aspirations. As he rehabbed from a flexor tendon and Tommy John revision surgery, hoping to rejoin his team in their pursuit of a World Series title in July 2024, fate had a chilling twist in store for him.
A Painful Surprise
On the fateful evening of July 10th, May ordered a salad for dinner while still recovering at the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility. With his first bite, he felt a piece of lettuce lodge in his throat. Attempts to dislodge it with water proved futile, and an excruciating pain gripped him for 15 minutes.
"It was mega-painful," May recounted to the LA Times. "The pain was in my throat and stomach."
Little did May know that he had unknowingly suffered a serious esophageal tear. The lettuce, lodged deep within his throat, had perforated his esophagus, an extremely uncommon occurrence.
As the pain subsided, May initially dismissed it. "I’m not a big panicker," he said. "It kind of chilled out. So I was like, ‘I’m fine. I don’t need to do anything.’"
A Timely Intervention
However, May’s wife, Millie, had a different opinion. "No," she insisted. "We’re going to the ER to get it checked out."
A CT scan revealed the severity of the tear in May’s esophagus, prompting doctors to rush him into emergency surgery.
"It was extremely frustrating," May said. "You can’t plan for it. You can’t try to prevent it. It just happened."
Long Scar, Longer Recovery
The surgery, described by May as "basically a full abdominal surgery," left him with a long scar extending from his lower chest to his stomach.
May’s hopes of being a key contributor to the Dodgers’ pitching staff down the stretch evaporated, replaced by a stark realization of life’s fragility.
"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. And the stuff it put my wife through, it definitely gave me (a feeling) of, ‘Wow, stuff can change like that.’"
"It was definitely very scary," May added. "It was definitely a life-altering event. It was definitely very serious. It’s not a very common surgery. It was definitely an emergency."
A Renewed Perspective
May’s Tommy John procedure marked the second time he had undergone elbow reconstruction surgery, having already undergone the same procedure in 2021. He has pitched effectively when healthy, boasting a 3.10 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 191.2 innings pitched for the Dodgers.
Despite a crowded rotation featuring aces like Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and Clayton Kershaw, May is eager to return to competition and contribute to his team.
"I’m definitely excited and definitely have a deeper appreciation for the game," he said.
A Lesson in Life’s Fragility
May’s esophageal tear served as a sobering reminder of life’s unpredictable nature and the importance of cherishing each moment.
"It’s definitely given me a different outlook on life," he said. "It’s taught me to appreciate the little things and to be grateful for every day that I have."
As he prepares to return to the mound, May carries with him not only the physical scars of his ordeal but also an invaluable lesson in the preciousness of life and the resilience of the human spirit.
