The Los Angeles Dodgers placed multiple players on the 15-day injured list to open the 2023 season, including Daniel Hudson, who is still recovering from an ACL tear in his left knee suffered last June.
The 36-year-old has been throwing bullpen sessions, but dealt with knee pain and right ankle tendinitis, which caused the Dodgers to slow down his progression during Spring Training.
The initial hope was that Hudson would be able to return at the end of April, but that appears unlikely now. “You know, Daniel’s in Arizona. He’s been throwing, so the arm is in shape,” manager Dave Roberts began.
“He just hasn’t responded well, it’s the knee. And getting better, but I just don’t know a timetable for Huddy. Obviously, he’s disappointed. We want him back, I expect him back. I just don’t know when.”
Roberts went into detail about the work Hudson is doing at Camelback Ranch. “He’s throwing bullpens, throwing to hitters, but I think if we have him at CBR, it’s more controlled. And when we activate him, we don’t want to have to look back,” Roberts explained.
Roberts stopped short of saying Hudson experienced a setback and believes he simply hasn’t made enough progress to advance to the next stage of his recovery. “More the same,” Roberts said of where Hudson has been.
“There was a point where we just felt that he was going to be able to get over the hump and recover and not feel it as much, but we just didn’t get there. So it’s not a setback. It just hasn’t got over the hump.”
Hudson went 2-3 with a 2.22 ERA, 2.05 FIP and 0.90 WHIP over 25 games prior to the knee injury last season. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year contract extension at the end of the 2022 season that included a club option for 2024.
What role will Daniel Hudson have in Dodgers bullpen?
If Hudson is able to pitch this season, he would be among the favorites to close out games for the Dodgers with no set ninth-inning reliever on the roster.
Hudson has the most career saves among relief pitchers, and although L.A. has indicated they have a closer by committee, Evan Phillips appears to be an early favorite for the majority of save opportunities.
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