Dustin May threw exactly one pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night in New York before a 106 mph line drive off the bat of Mets rookie A.J. Ewing struck him in the upper back, ending his start almost as soon as it began and sending a jolt of anxiety through a Brewers team chasing a fourth straight National League Central title.
May attempted to get out of the way of the comebacker, but the ball caromed off him and hopped once to third baseman David Hamilton, who threw out Ewing at first base, according to News4JAX. Manager Pat Murphy and a Brewers athletic trainer both jogged out to check on May, who threw a handful of warmup pitches, shook his right hand between them, and raised his right arm before Murphy motioned for him to leave the mound. May appeared to favor the area around his right shoulder blade and armpit as he walked off.
An Extremely Rare Exit
May's departure after a single pitch made him the first MLB starting pitcher to leave a game that early since Miami's Pablo López on July 2, 2021, according to the Associated Press. The 106 mph exit velocity on Ewing's line drive underscores just how little time May had to react before the ball caught him behind the shoulder blade.
Left-hander Robert Gasser began warming up in the bullpen the moment May was struck and entered the game in relief, per the same account. Gasser retired Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor to end the first inning, stepping into unplanned duty after making 15 starts for Milwaukee this season with a 3-5 record, a 4.79 ERA and 72 strikeouts across 77 innings, according to Baseball Savant data cited in the dossier.
A 21-Year-Old Rookie's Rising Profile
Ewing, the batter whose liner caused the scare, made his major league debut on May 12, 2026, after being drafted in the fourth round in 2023. He has since climbed to become New York's No. 2 prospect and the No. 78 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB.com.
The moment carries extra weight given May's medical history. He underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction twice during his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, first in May 2021 and again as a revision procedure in July 2023, the Los Angeles Times has reported. In July 2024, while recovering from that elbow surgery, May suffered a life-threatening esophageal tear while eating dinner that required emergency abdominal repair surgery and six months of restricted recovery, according to Sports Illustrated.
High Stakes for a Trade Deadline Addition
Milwaukee acquired May from the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at the August 3 trade deadline along with reliever JoJo Romero, sending minor-league outfielders Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale to St. Louis, as reported by CBS Sports. The move was designed to bolster the Brewers' rotation for a deep postseason push, and entering Wednesday's start against the Mets, Milwaukee held the best record in baseball at 81-51.
May signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with St. Louis in December 2025 that includes a $12 million base salary and a $20 million mutual option for 2027 with a $500,000 buyout, the Associated Press has reported, meaning any lingering shoulder issue could carry financial as well as competitive implications. Across 25 total outings split between the Cardinals and Brewers this season prior to Wednesday's start, May had posted a 6-8 record with a 4.56 ERA. His status for his next scheduled outing remained unclear following the one-pitch exit.
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