Dodgers place Dustin May on the 60-day injured list

The Dodgers placed Dustin May on the 60-day injured list on Thursday, clearing a space on the 40-man roster for Jimmy Nelson, whose signing was finalized.

May had Tommy John surgery last May 11, and isn’t expected to return to the majors until around the All-Star break. Procedurally, by placing him on the 60-day IL, the earliest possible date May could be activated is June 6.

He told Kirsten Watson at SportsNet LA on Monday that he plans to begin pitching off a mound beginning the first week of April, as the next progression in his rehabilitation.

“Getting back to a good spot, strengthening my arm,” May told Watson. “I’m very excited just to be back with the guys. It’s exciting to have everybody here. The camaraderie is back.”

May was the Dodgers’ opening day starter in 2020, and started last season on fire with 35 strikeouts (a 37.6-percent strikeout rate) in 23 innings with a 2.74 ERA in five starts before getting hurt. In parts of three major league seasons, the 24-year-old right-hander, drafted by the Dodgers in the third round in 2016, has a 2.93 ERA in 31 games, including 19 starts, with 111 strikeouts and 27 walks in 113⅔ innings.

Nelson signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2023. He’s returning from both Tommy John surgery and right flexor tendon repair last August, so he’s a likely candidate to be placed on the 60-day injured list himself soon to make roster room, perhaps when Freddie Freeman or Hanser Alberto finalize their contracts.