Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson will begin the year on the injured list, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The right-hander hasn’t pitched since June of last year, when a torn ACL ended his 2022 season early. It was reported a few weeks ago that he had also developed some ankle tendinitis over the winter. It seems he still has some work to do before getting back to health.
“There have been days where it’s just, I feel like a baby giraffe sometimes,” Hudson tells Ardaya. “Just trying to get my body — it just feels different — trying to get my body used to moving the way it did. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like it’s moving the right way.”
Even after that torn ACL, the Dodgers had enough faith in Hudson to sign him to an extension late last year. That new deal effectively triggered their $6.5MM club option for 2023 but also added a $6.5MM club option for 2024, with incentives that could take the value up to $7.3MM. He made 25 appearances before the injury last year, posting a 2.22 ERA with a 30.9% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate and 53.4% ground ball rate. While the Dodgers would surely love to get that level of production back in their bullpen, it seems they will have to be patient. In the meantime, the high leverage innings will likely to go pitchers like Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol.
Some more notes from the National League West…
- The Dodgers took a gamble on right-hander Jimmy Nelson by signing him to a $1.2MM major league deal recently. Over the past five years, he has generally been either injured or ineffective, but he did have one flash of brilliance in that time. In 29 innings in the 2021 season, he posted a 1.86 ERA while striking out 37.9% of batters faced. The control was definitely a concern, as he walked 11.2% of batters faced, but he was incredibly effective nonetheless. Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery in August wiped out the latter parts of that year and all of 2022. In ramping up for 2023, the control seems to be a problem once again, as he’s issued 11 walks in just five spring outings. Ardaya reports that the Dodgers are considering putting Nelson on the injured list to start the season in order to give him more time to get into a groove. Nelson has well over five years of service time and can’t be optioned without his consent, so an IL stint and rehab assignment could be a way to allow that to happen. It’s unclear whether Nelson is experiencing any kind of injury or soreness after the lost season, but he clearly needs to refine his command and the Dodgers would hardly be the first team to cite a vague injury in order to get a player on the injured list.
- Giants outfielder Austin Slater was diagnosed with a strained hamstring on the weekend. While the club didn’t provide an estimated recovery timeline, Evan Webeck of The Mercury News reports that Slater was given a timeline of three-to-four weeks before he can return to play. With Opening Day now just over a week away, Slater will undoubtedly start the season on the injured list. This means the club will have at least two outfielders on the IL when the season begins, as Luis González will miss roughly the first half of the season due to back surgery. Mitch Haniger could make for a third outfielder on the shelf since he has an oblique strain, but it’s still unclear if he’ll be ready for Opening Day. This will test the club’s depth behind the likely front three of Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Conforto and Joc Pederson. In order to potentially address the issue, catcher Blake Sabol and infielder Brett Wisely have been getting more outfield reps of late. Webeck also mentions that Bryce Johnson is in the running. He’s a natural outfielder but isn’t currently on the roster, though he could potentially take the spot of Gonzalez, who is sure to be transferred to the 60-day IL at some point.
Wow!
The Giants shuffle continues.
That’s baseball: adapt or perish!
Giants adapted to a 12-1 beat down on your dogs today!
this is what it’s come to for Giants fans? Trolling an injury section about a Spring Training win? Legit, do you feel better now?
Victory over a division rival always feels good. No matter when or where. So, ya !
Giants are going to be tough.
Good grief, Joc is not going to be in the outfield!
I think it’s a safe bet at this point that Sabol is on the roster for opening day, and my guess is that if Haniger is still not ready, then Sabol starts LF. Johnson could be an exciting option if he can continue getting on base the way he has this spring.
Agreed. I think a lot of guys would have to be injured before Joc becomes an option, I have to think he’s got to be low on the depth chart, especially since they had him working out as at 1B as an option there.
Wade will see OF time before Joc. These reporters can’t resist bringing it up over and over though.
Haniger has started swinging and throwing and Piscotty played today so things are on the improve. I’m saying that, Yaz has had a dumpster fire of a Spring so far. I wonder if that gives Johnson a leg up as a direct replacement for Slater. Otherwise Yaz is out there every day.
Yeah I wonder about Yastrzemski. His first 2 seasons, one the short 2020 season, were AS quality. 2021 was just above average and 2022 was below. He has a lot of value in his ability to play anywhere in the OF, but he needs to re-establish himself as an everyday guy. He would be a great 4th OFer. With Johnson’s glove I’d love to see him continue to hit and force his way on to the ML roster.
Just seems like Yaz hasn’t hit for a long time.
Yaz needs to have a good year to stay a Giant. Too many prospects getting close to ready. I hope he feels it and performs though.
my 2 cents to start season: Johnson AND Yaz. haniger not ready. piscotty w/o Slater. Villar short lease w Schmitt at the ready. sabol, Perez and Bart. 12 pitchers.
Bryce is doing everything he can this spring and deserves a spot but you know the Giants will give Yaz some more time to figure it out. But I agree with you, Yaz looks lost at the plate, as much as we love him. Still a great defender. Bryce’s speed on the bags is much needed too. I guess we will see how this all unfolds.
Yaz looks totally lost and the Giants cannot afford a hole like that in the lineup. I love the guy but he needs some serious adjustments at the plate. Therefore, Johnson looks like the best fit in CF and at leadoff. Conforto and Sabol fill out the OF till Haniger mends (then SAbol can return to catching). God help us if Gabe puts Joc in the OF.
After watching most of the Giants spring training games, Johnson looks like a real option for the starting CF. Also Casey Schmitt looks like he is ready both with the bat and glove, but will probably start in AAA as there are a few bodies in front of him.
Yaz has looked lost for a couple seasons now. With Haniger out, put Conforto in LF, Johnson in CF, Piscotty in RF, Joc at DH and Wade at 1B. Jeez, they’re in for a long year
I’d rather see Wade in RF with Davis at 1st. Piscotti to AAA.
JD looks great and he doesn’t have to be platooned. I hope he gets lots of playing time, I like him!
Me too. Lots of hard contact.
Looks like we won the Ruff trade so far.
34-year-old Merrill Kelly was the starter in the championship game. Ugh.