PHOENIX _ It wasn't as scary as a comebacker off the head, but it could be more concerning for the Los Angeles Dodgers' long-term plans.
Pitcher Dustin May left after just one inning in the Dodgers' 5-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, removed by manager Dave Roberts after taking a line drive off the inside of his left foot on the second pitch of the game.
It's the second time in two seasons May has been hit at the Diamondbacks' home park. Last September, the rookie writhed in pain on the Chase Field mound after a ball ricocheted off his head. In his first at-bat Thursday, he limped off the bump after taking Josh Rojas' 91.2-mph exit velocity liner off his exposed left landing leg.
Roberts and a trainer spent several minutes checking on May immediately after the play, initially allowing him to remain in the game and finish the inning. As May warmed up for the bottom of the second, however, Roberts and a medical staff member emerged from the dugout again. After a brief conversation, May was removed from the game and walked gingerly back to the clubhouse.
The Dodgers' rotation was already facing questions. On Thursday afternoon, the team put starter Walker Buehler back on the 10-day injured list with a right index finger blister. They've yet to name projected starters beyond Julio Urias for Saturday's series opener against the Houston Astros. And at the season's three-quarters mark, May was expected to challenge down the stretch for a spot in the postseason rotation.
Now, the Dodgers can only wait to see if May's foot injury is serious. The rookie bounced back from last season's blow to the head, returning six days later as a member of the bullpen. But his role is magnified this season and an extended absence would be significant.
The Dodgers' front office, of course, decided not to bolster its pitching staff at the trade deadline because of the depth provided by newcomers such as May and Tony Gonsolin, who came on in relief later in Thursday's game.
They put experienced starter Alex Wood, who was also needed for an inning Thursday, in the bullpen after he returned from an early-season injury.
And they even shipped versatile veteran Ross Stripling to Toronto at the trade deadline, believing there wasn't enough room on the roster.
Suddenly, the team might be short on starters, at least in the near-term. And with less than three weeks to go in the regular season, they can only hope a wrench hasn't been thrown into their all-important postseason pitching plans.
