Daniel Hudson was the same age (27) when he moved from the Arizona rotation to the bullpen in 2014 as Dodgers right-hander Michael Grove is today, and even though the transition was more by necessity than design — Hudson had Tommy John surgeries in 2012 and 2013 and had to ease the stress on his elbow — it was still a blow to his ego.
“In the beginning, it’s kind of tough, it almost seems like a demotion, especially when you’re young and you’ve been starting your whole career,” said Hudson, now a 37-year-old Dodgers setup man who closed games for the World Series-winning Washington Nationals in 2019.