Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher Dustin May Injured After Line Drive Hit

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Dustin May faced a challenging start on Wednesday night. His outing lasted just one pitch in the Brewers’ 8-1 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field.

In the bottom of the first inning, May was struck by a 106 mph line drive off Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing. The ball was hit back at him harder than the 96 mph fastball he had delivered. Third baseman David Hamilton managed to retrieve the ball and retired Ewing at first base.

May, visibly in discomfort, had to bend over and clutch the spot where he was hit. Trainers quickly arrived to assess his condition. Despite attempting a few warm-up pitches after consulting with manager Pat Murphy and the medical staff, May didn’t feel well enough to continue.

“When I threw it, it felt fine,” May explained. “But after a few seconds, throwing the next one didn’t feel right. They decided to be cautious.”

May was diagnosed with a bruised right scapula and removed from the game, though he expressed hope about returning for his next start.

“I think it all depends on how I feel Thursday,” May stated. “I feel better knowing there’s no structural damage.”

With May sidelined early, manager Pat Murphy turned to the bullpen to cover the remaining outs. Murphy humorously remarked it was part of the plan.

“We planned just using May as an opener,” Murphy said with a smile. “Parts of six innings for Gasser — great, really great.”

Robert Gasser relieved May, delivering an impressive 5 1/3 innings of one-run pitching. Following him, Grant Anderson and Bryse Wilson covered 3 1/3 shutout innings, allowing only three hits.

For Gasser, appearing from the bullpen was a new experience.

“Definitely something I haven’t had to experience before,” Gasser remarked.

May, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, is expected to be a key player for the Brewers as the season progresses. May currently holds a 6-8 record with a 4.56 ERA over 25 starts and 124 1/3 innings.

The Brewers, now 82-51, aim to win the final game against the Mets, who stand at 60-73, on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

The report includes contributions from the Associated Press.

Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.