Dustin May leaves game in 2nd inning after right arm injury

Dodgers pitcher Dustin May had to leave his start Saturday night in the second inning against the Brewers, immediately wincing after throwing a fastball on his 27th pitch of the game. The team called it a right arm injury during the game.

More information will be known once May has an MRI exam after the Dodgers arrive in Chicago for their next series, beginning Monday against the Cubs.

“Any time a pitcher comes out of the game and once you’re talking about the elbow, you’re concerned, certainly, for him,” Dave Roberts said after the game. “I don’t want to get ahead of it until we know more though.”

May struck out three of his first six batters faced on Saturday, allowing only a solo home run to Luis Urías in the second inning. The next batter, Billy McKinney, ran the count full against May, who winced after throwing his seventh pitch of the at-bat. May immediately called to the dugout, and left the field with trainer Yosuke Nakajima.

“He said he felt a shooting sensation through his arm on one of those curveballs in the beginning of the at-bat,” Roberts said.

May entered Saturday averaging 98.4 mph on his four-seam fastball, a pitch he’s thrown 18 percent of the time. His first five four-seamers on Saturday averaged 99.1 mph, but on the final pitch to McKinney, May registered just 94.3 mph, his slowest fastball of the season.

The fastball came directly after a pair of curveballs to McKinney.

The extent of the injury is unknown, but the way May was grimacing and carrying his arm while walking off the field didn’t seem encouraging.

“The wins and the losses are going to happen,” Roberts said. “We’ll know more with the MRI, but certainly the health of the player, short-term, long term is our biggest concern.”

If May does have to miss time, the Dodgers don’t necessarily need to add a starter just yet. They have an off day coming Thursday, the first of three off days in an eight-day span, so they potentially don’t need someone to start in May’s place until the third week of May. The two most likely pitchers to take that spot are both on the injured list. David Price has a strained hamstring, and Tony Gonsolin has shoulder inflammation. Gonsolin is the closest to returning, having already thrown a bullpen session at Camelback Ranch with another, extended session coming within a few days, but neither is particularly close to returning.

The Dodgers will likely need to add at least one pitcher on Sunday, especially after they used nine relievers on Saturday and basically had two bullpen games in a row.