Prior to their matchup against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of Bryan Hudson from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated Tayler Scott for assignment.
Hudson was originally selected by the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft and spent seven years with the organization before signing a Minor League contract with the Dodgers during the offseason.
The left-hander made his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants, allowing three runs over two innings of work. “It means everything,” Hudson said of being part of a big league roster. “It’s everything I’ve worked for over the years to get to this point. I’m taking it all in.”
Hudson was informed by OKC manager Travis Barbary early Saturday morning that he would be joining the Dodgers. “Last night, our manager in OKC called me around 1:30 in the morning and told me I was going to L.A. I was really surprised,” Hudson began.
“My first phone call was to my mom. I had to call and tell her. I woke her up out of her sleep. She’ll be here, so very excited for that.”
The Dodgers have called up several players from OKC over the past month due to injuries, and Hudson knew his time would eventually come. “I’ve seen it over the years and whatnot,” he said. “You just keep your head down, keep doing your thing and wait for your time. That’s what I did.”
Bryan Hudson finding success with new slider
Before his promotion to the Dodgers, Hudson went 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 25 games (three starts) with OKC. The 26-year-old recorded 51 strikeouts against 14 walks over 29 innings pitched during those appearances.
Hudson attributed his success to a new slider he developed with Dodgers pitching coaches. “Harder and sharper,” he explained. “It’s not as easy to see out of my hand, which is what we were going for. Just more of a putaway pitch to lefties.”
Hudson revealed that he began throwing his new slider in Spring Training. “So in spring we kind of talked about it and then just kind of elaborated on it throughout the year, and it’s gotten to where it is now,” Hudson said. “I’ve had some success, so keep going with it.”
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