Dodgers News: Latest Daniel Hudson Injury Update Spells Bad News for Veteran Reliever
Dodgers RHP Daniel Hudson doesn't know if he'll return this season, as his knee isn't progressing as quickly as he had hoped. Hudson seemed unsure about the situation when speaking to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“It feels … I don’t know,” Hudson said. "I’m just trying to keep my arm going just in case things turn a corner. Trying to get as much done as I can. Keep hammering away at it. … But right now it’s just kind of staying the same.”
Plunkett added that Hudson hasn't given up on potentially returning this season, but acknowledged that he's trying to be realistic.
“We’re running out of days,” Hudson said. “We’ll see. I’m doing everything I can.”
With the emergence of Evan Phillips, the Dodgers don’t necessarily need Hudson. However, he's someone with tons of postseason experience, including closing out a World Series before.
Fortunately, the Dodgers bullpen has been much better as of late. Since July, Brusdar Graterol has been brilliant. And during the last homestand, Shelby Miller returned and looked great.
Soon, Joe Kelly will return to the Dodger bullpen. If healthy, Kelly can be an effective setup reliever, and he can close games if LA needs. He also has a great history of dominating in the postseason. During the 2018 World Series, Kelly helped lead the Boston Red Sox to a world championship.
If Hudson can’t return this year, it leaves his MLB career very much up in the air. It's an unfortunate blow for Hudson, who worked his way back from a torn ACL to just injure his other knee after three appearances.
