The Los Angeles Dodgers had high hopes for Daniel Hudson returning to their bullpen this season after missing much of 2022 with a torn ACL in his left knee.
Hudson’s rehab process not only took longer than anticipated, but he only appeared in three games before going back on the injured list due to a sprained MCL in his right knee. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at the time said it was heartbreaking to see Hudson go through that and it was unlikely he would return this season, but an outside chance remained.
Hudson recently acknowledged he’s running out of days to return as the season winds down, but he has continued with the rehab process. The 36-year-old was previously throwing bullpen sessions, and he advanced to facing hitters in a live session on Tuesday.
“It was good,” Roberts said. “There was a lot of strikes. I didn’t look at and I haven’t heard about the velocity. I think for us right now, just to get him through that, and hopefully I hear back that it went well, he came out of it well.
“But it was just encouraging to see him against some hitters. And I think we’ll revisit this in another four or five days.”
Hudson is still viewed as a long shot to return, but if the Dodgers play deep into the postseason, that increases the chance of getting him back.
“I think so,” Roberts answered when asked if it’s still unlikely Hudson returns. “I think that just continuing to move forward, our expectation is to play through October. “So if we can continue to build him up, the long shot becomes shorter and shorter.
“So I think the most important thing is to continue to pass these certain markers.”
When did Daniel Hudson injure his knee?
Hudson suffered the right knee injury while recording his first save since June 2022. The veteran reliever loaded the bases with nobody out against the Pittsburgh Pirates before he escaped the jam without allowing a run.
“I’m telling you, man, guts,” Roberts said of Hudson pitching through the injury to record the save.
He was initially placed on the 15-day IL on July 6 before being transferred to the 60-day later in the season. Hudson appeared in just three games after being activated, collecting five strikeouts over three scoreless innings.
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