Dodgers Reliever Daniel Hudson Frustrated by Recovery, Won’t Be Ready for Start of Season

This is a bummer for Hudson and the Dodgers.

Dodgers RHP Daniel Hudson, a potential leading candidate to take over LA's closer role this season, confirmed on Monday that he will not be ready for Opening Day on March 30. Hudson, who's recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last June, and then ankle tendinitis he suffered while working back from the knee injury, is just not progressing as quickly as he had hoped.

He spoke to the media on Monday, and was asked how high his frustration levels were at this point in the recovery process (per the Los Angeles Times).

"It’s up there, but it is what it is," Hudson said. "I wish I could say I was [ready for games], but it’s just going to take a little bit of time."

The Dodgers have no reason to rush Hudson, as the goal doesn't have to be for him to be ready for the start of the season. The Dodgers have a long season ahead of them, and Hudson is coming back from a major injury. At 36 years old, he's not in a position to rush things.

The Dodgers want to make sure they're doing everything correctly in his recovery, to ensure he's fully healthy when he returns, and can remain healthy over the course of a long season. So, they're being very careful in how they go about this process.

"We’re trying to evaluate it right now to see where we’re at," Hudson said. "We haven’t really made any decisions on what the next step is. We’re just trying to map some stuff out … on when I can get back into games."

We don't know exactly how long it will take Hudson to make a full recovery, but again, the Dodgers will not rush him. So, don't expect to see Hudson until he feels 100 percent ready to help this team win games.