Written by Joe Lucia | 16 March 2010

The starter returning from Tommy John...analyzed here! After Tommy John surgery in August of 2008, Tim Hudson returned to the Braves rotation at the end of August in 2009. Hudson got 7 starts in 2009, and averaged a pinch over 6 innings per start so as to not tire his arm out. Hudson was about what you'd expect: 3.83 FIP (3.79 career average). Hudson pitched like we all expected him to, with strikeout and walk rates right at his career average (6.38 K in 09, 6.13 career, 2.76 BB in both 09 and his career). Hudson had an odd time with the luck-based peripherals, as his BABIP was a high .335, but his strand rate was an also high 79.8%. That high BABIP led to an obscene .291 BAA, almost 40 points higher than his career mark. As for his 2010 season, the Oakland A's Tim Hudson is dead and gone, as that was when Huddy was in his prime between the ages of 24 and 29. He'll be 35 at the all-star break this season, and is entering his decline phase. Fans who expect Hudson to put up and ERA of 3.00 are probably out of their minds, but it wouldn't be at all unreasonable to see him put up something in the range of 3.50 and 3.70. Hudson isn't a big strikeout pitcher, so I'd be satisfied with around 140 in 200 innings from him, with maybe 55 or 60 walks. The Braves don't need Hudson to be the ace of the staff, he just needs to put up an above average season for the team if they want to be contenders. If Hudson implodes like he did in 2006 (4.55 FIP), the team may be in deep trouble.