Daniel Hudson re-tears UCL

The message from the Diamondbacks is short, and almost brutally to the point.

RHP Daniel Hudson suffered a re-tear of the UCL in his right elbow during his first rehab start at Double-A Mobile on June 4. D-backs staff is exploring all medical options.

The UCL is the very same ligament which was repaired during the Tommy John surgery last July, surgery from which Hudson had apparently been recovering smoothly. Indeed, with the normal recovery period 12 months or longer, Hudson was on track possibly to beat that. His work in extended spring training had gone smoothly, and he was sent down to Double-A Mobile to begin a rehab assignment which could have seen him rejoining the Diamondbacks rotation around the beginning of next month.

However, his first start in Mobile was cut short after two frames, Hudson reporting elbow stiffness. He returned to Phoenix to consult with team physician Dr. Michael Lee. That was supposed to have taken place yesterday, and I remember thinking it was a little odd that there was no subsequent report - it didn't seem at the time that it was necessarily much more than the kind of soreness you'd expect, as you finally reach maximum exertion after almost a year off. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.

While the team says they are "exploring all medical options," the most likely scenario is a second Tommy John surgery. This one will be under a different surgeon, Dr. Lewis Yocum, who performed the original operation, dies recently. According to Jeff Passan, this will probably be Dr. James Andrews, and it seems that Hudson is looking at a further 12 months away from the game. It's a horrible blow for him, and I can't imagine what he feels like right now. Get well soon, Huddy. Obviously, it removes a possible option for the Diamondbacks' rotation in the second-half of the season: hopes Hudson could replace Ian Kennedy or Wade Miley appear dashed.