The Los Angeles Dodgers lost a key member of their bullpen back in June when Daniel Hudson tore the ACL in his left knee and subsequently underwent season-ending surgery.
The 35-year-old posted a 2-3 record with a 2.22 ERA, 2.05 FIP and 0.90 WHIP over 25 games prior to his knee injury. He was slated to potentially reach free agency at the end of the season but the Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract with Hudson that includes a team option for 2024.
Although it will be several months until Hudson is back on a mound, he’s making steady progress in the recovery from ACL surgery.
“It’s going really well,” Hudson recently said. “I can’t really say where I’m at percentage-wise in terms of where somebody is supposed to be at this point. It’s been a little over 10 weeks since the surgery.
“There haven’t been setbacks or anything to this point, so we’re just taking things day by day, week by week, and hopefully within the next couple weeks I’ll be able to have more of a gauge on a normal offseason and what that looks like for me; throwing progression and all that stuff.
“Have conversations with the training staff and kind of eye ball when they want me to try getting things going in the offseason.”
Now that he is locked into at least one more season with the Dodgers, Hudson feels a sense of urgency in returning in time for the start of the 2023 season. “I don’t know if it makes it any easier,” he said when asked if his rehab process is less stressful now that he is under contract.
“For me, it kind of makes it a little more important to try and get a full season in. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but at this point I’m just eyeballing Spring Training and Opening Day.
“Being ready for all that and trying to get a normal Spring Training in and help the Dodgers win another World Series.”
Daniel Hudson timeline
The estimated timetable for Hudson’s recovery from the torn ACL was six to nine months. He recently said he was around the first few weeks or initial month of an offseason training program.
The Dodgers likely will be cautious with the veteran relief pitcher, but a return in time for Opening Day of the 2023 season certainly seems plausible.
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