May's struggles continue during 7-ER affair in Detroit

As Dustin May hobbled around after he was struck on the right leg near his ankle by a 104.4 mph one-hopper in the bottom of the first inning of St. Louis' eventual 11-6 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, Cardinals fans might have wondered whether his injury woes would continue in just his second start with the club.

May stayed in the game, so while he put the health concerns to rest for the time being, his Saturday struggles certainly didn’t quiet an anxious fan base.

May’s second start of the season went even worse than his debut. After allowing six runs in four innings against the Rays last weekend, May retired just 10 Tigers on Saturday, allowing seven runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out four. May’s 15.95 ERA is the worst in a Cardinal’s first two starts with the club since Alan Benes' 17.18 ERA in 1995.

When the Cardinals announced they'd signed May in December, it was clear from the first day that his value to them had more to do with the Trade Deadline than his early-season performance.

While his first two starts have gone about as poorly as possible, patience is required with the highest-paid player on the roster. Believe it or not, there remains plenty of hope that St. Louis can cash in on its biggest free-agent signing this offseason.

May signed with the Cardinals because of their plan to keep him healthy and provide him the runway to get back to himself on the mound. There weren't concerns about his production before 2025, through which he carried a career 3.10 ERA. Still, he only appeared in 46 games during his first five big league seasons due to various injuries.

May had a banner 2025, with career highs in games (25), starts (23) and innings pitched (132 1/3), but that also coincided with the highest ERA (4.96) of his career. May missed most of the 2023 season with a torn right flexor tendon, then the entire '24 campaign due to a life-threatening torn esophagus. May pitched 20-plus pounds below his playing weight in '25. That, combined with missing almost two full seasons on the mound, led the right-hander to believe he would be more effective once all that was behind him in '26.

That hasn’t been the case so far in the box score, but there have been encouraging signs when it comes to a rebound in his velocity. May is averaging 96.6 mph on his sinker in 2026, up more than 2 mph from last season. His four-seam fastball is up one tick as well. While his velocity has returned, his command hasn’t, with far too many pitches ending up in the middle of the strike zone.

Last season, May sported a 4.85 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for the Dodgers at the Trade Deadline, when Los Angeles traded him to the Red Sox for outfielders James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard, two Top 30 Red Sox prospects at the time. Upside, if flashed enough, can trump a drop in production.

Tibbs III and Erhard are off to red-hot starts to their 2026 Minor League campaigns, strengthening an already deep Dodgers farm system. The Cardinals hoped to follow a similar blueprint with May this season, and while the first two starts have certainly been rough, their status as a rebuilding club means they need to stay the course.

Obviously, it would be difficult to swing a deal for May if things don’t straighten out, but St. Louis has time on its side. Yes, there are young arms with Triple-A Memphis who are eager for their opportunity, but the Cardinals won't give up on their $12.5 million investment after just two outings. That could become a conversation later in the coming months, but for now, May will have every opportunity to get things back on track.

That’s in the best interest of both him and St. Louis, even if it takes some time to get there.