NEW YORK: Atlanta Braves stalwart Tim Hudson was lost for the season when he fractured his right ankle in a gruesome injury yesterday that clouded the pitcher’s Major League Baseball future and the team’s championship hopes.
Hudson, 38, a winner of 205 games in his 14-year career, suffered the horrific injury when his right ankle was trampled on by a sprinting Eric Young Jr in a close play at first base in the Braves’ 8-2 road victory over the New York Mets.
Hudson was covering the base after Young’s grounder in the eighth inning bounced off first baseman Freddie Freeman’s chest.
The pitcher raced over and planted his right foot on the middle of the bag as he received Freeman’s throw just as Young inadvertently stepped down directly on Hudson’s ankle.
Hudson, lying on the ground in obvious pain, was carted off the Citi Field diamond and the club announced later that he would undergo surgery once the swelling goes down.
“He was in disbelief and obviously in a lot of pain,” said Braves second baseman Dan Uggla, one of many teammates that rushed over to the stricken pitcher.
“You could just see the thoughts going through his head, like this is unbelievable and this can’t be happening.
“I know he was in a lot of pain.”
REUTERS
