Minutes after winning his second World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson announced his retirement. A veteran of 15 big league seasons, Hudson has ended his career just how he wanted to, a champion.
“This was the only reason I came back — to go out on top,” Hudson told reporters, including the Orange County Register. “And that’s what’s happening.”
Despite warming up, the 37-year-old right-hander did not appear in the Dodgers Game 5 win over the Yankees on Wednesday. Had he closed out the contest, Hudson would have become the first pitcher in MLB history to close out two World Series championships for two different teams. Hudson tossed a scoreless frame in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series in the Nationals’ first championship in franchise history.
Daniel Hudson Calls It a Career
Originally drafted as a starter, Hudson reinvented himself as a reliever after a string of elbow injuries threatened his career. The veteran right-hander has pitched for seven major league teams including the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Padres. Hudson returned to the Dodgers in 2022 recording a 2.69 ERA over 25 appearances. He battled multiple knee injuries during his second stint in Los Angeles limiting him to just 27 1/3 innings between 2022 and 2023.
Hudson signed a minor league deal to stay with Los Angeles last winter and made the Dodgers Opening Day roster. Finally healthy, he pitched to a 3.00 ERA and recorded 10 saves over 63 regular season innings. Hudson allowed only one earned run in his first six postseason appearances before a difficult outing in Game 4 of the World Series.
Hudson is the second Dodgers veteran to announce his retirement at the end of the 2024 season. Outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, who was not a member of the Dodgers World Series roster, announced his retirement plans in July. Hudson finishes his career with two World Series championships and a 3.74 ERA (111 ERA+) in 547 career appearances.
Main Photo: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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