Injured Diamondbacks pitcher Daniel Hudson spoke with the media via conference call on Thursday afternoon to give an update on his injury. Hudson was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his elbow after being removed from Tuesday's game with pain in his forearm.
Arizona's team doctor, after seeing the MRI result, told Hudson the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) was severed which normally leads to "Tommy John" surgery and about a 12 month recovery. Daniel will see another doctor on Friday to get a second opinion and confirm that diagnosis but he didn't sound hopeful for different news.
As for the injury itself, Hudson didn't report feeling a pop in his elbow as often happens with his injury but he did have increased soreness after his last start.
"It felt like general soreness," Hudson said. "Obviously, I was wrong but I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose myself on the spot. If it felt normal I was going to go out there and compete and I was going to want the ball in my hand.
"When I took myself out of the game against the Braves on Tuesday, it was just one of those things that I couldn't get extended on a pitch, I couldn't finish a pitch without pain in my elbow and that's the first time I ever felt that so I took myself out of the game."
The young right-handed thrower said that throughout his career he's always experienced some amount of elbow soreness after pitching based on his arm and mechanics. He wasn't sure if his preview shoulder impingement injury that put him on the disabled list for about a month was related to the elbow problem.
Here's hoping that Hudson is able to make a full recovery and return to his promising career. We have no doubt that he will put in the work in rehab to get back on the mound.