NEW YORK — Daniel Hudson, who returned after missing most of two seasons and emerged as a veteran presence of a transcendent Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen, has his wish. The 37-year-old right-hander will retire, he confirmed late Wednesday night, capping off a 15-year major-league career by standing on the visiting bullpen mound at Yankee Stadium, watching as Walker Buehler secured the final three outs of Hudson’s second World Series championship.
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“This is the only reason I came back, for this feeling right here,” Hudson said during the Dodgers’ World Series celebration. “These guys in this clubhouse, this is the only reason I came back. I wanted to go out on top and that’s what’s happening.”
Hudson has also pitched for the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Blue Jays, Nationals and Padres.
An ascendant starter in his youth, Hudson became, in many ways, the poster child of the wave of elbow injuries that have ravaged the sport. He was one of the subjects of ESPN columnist Jeff Passan’s book, “The Arm,” which chronicled Hudson’s attempts to rehab from not one, but two Tommy John surgeries.
Hudson reinvented his career as a reliever, reaching the pinnacle in recording the final out of the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals. The following years saw Hudson’s body betray him — he tore his ACL in his left knee in June 2022 and, in the midst of recording his first save since returning, sprained the MCL in his right knee in July 2023. Hudson contemplated retirement before re-signing with the Dodgers on a minor-league deal for the 2024 season.
He would turn in his first wire-to-wire season in half a decade, with a 3.00 ERA in 65 appearances despite continued soreness in both knees. As the oldest of a group that helped the Dodgers survive and win a title, Hudson was the “anchor,” Blake Treinen said.
Hudson’s age became an inside joke. In one viral social media video, catcher Will Smith was asked to name the most ancient player he could think of in any era. He answered Hudson.
But Hudson remained a confidant. During a pivotal stretch of the Dodgers’ season, with manager Dave Roberts calling on Buehler to take on a greater role, Buehler turned to Hudson. This was the right-hander’s first season since undergoing a second Tommy John surgery of his own, so he asked for advice.
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It was Hudson who warmed next to Buehler in the final innings of Game 5, and who watched him complete the job. When the two reunited on the field, they met with a warm embrace and posed for photos together in Hudson’s final moments on a field as a big leaguer.
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(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
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