Cardinals Dodged a Bullet With Dustin May Injury Scare

The Cardinals avoided a scary situation.

May 27, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) waits as Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (not pictured) walks onto the field to put in a reliever against the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off one of their biggest wins of the year on Thursday night, rallying from a late deficit to defeat the Atlanta Braves by a final score of 11-5 and take the series.

However, a scary moment took place in the bottom of the first inning. Dustin May, making his first start since a blowup outing in Kansas City, was hit in the ankle with a comeback off the bat of Dominic Smith. He originally stayed in the game but was ultimately pulled before the inning was over.

Fortunately for St. Louis, it appears they dodged a bullet. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provided the latest update after the game.

Dustin May had X-rays taken at the ballpark and said they came back without any indication of a break or injury. He called the ankle/shin area "soft" and painful. His activity the next few days will depend on "tolerance," he said, and swelling. #stlcards

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 3, 2026

Cardinals Dodged Bullet With Dustin May

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts as he walks off the field after the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This does not mean that May will avoid the injured list, but it does appear that the injury was less severe than expected. It might just take him a little while to get back on the mound. He had previously been skipped in the rotation due to back tightness.

May is somebody who could be a trade chip for the Cardinals at the deadline, which is now a month away. Had the injury been more severe, the Cardinals may have lost a valuable trade piece and been forced to keep him as he recovered from an injury.

However, the X-rays came back clean, and while he could still hit the injured list, it's not as severe as it could have been, meaning that the Cardinals still have a starter with some good value as the trade deadline approaches.

If he can bounce back from this and return to the form he showed when he pitched a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres, then the Cardinals could still get a decent package for him at the deadline.

That chance still exists thanks to the X-rays coming back clean. May is 5-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 16 starts this season with the Cardinals. He has been able to stay healthy for most of the year, which is a big bonus for the Cardinals as they look for potential trade suitors.

His recent struggles might impact his value a bit, but he has shown a lot of promise this season and has also been a solid find for Chaim Bloom. It will be interesting to see what ultimately takes place with May in the coming weeks, but for now, the Cardinals appear to have dodged a bullet.