Orlando City announced this afternoon that rookie striker Derek Dodson will join Hartford Athletic in the USL Championship on loan. The loan lasts until the end of the USL Championship season, though Dodson can be recalled at any time. Hartford currently sits in third in the USL Championship’s Atlantic Division.
The Lions selected Dodson with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft in January. Dodson stayed with Georgetown for much of the NCAA season before officially signing with Orlando City in late April. It is not unusual that a rookie signed through the MLS SuperDraft would not see much playing time on a team as deep as Orlando City.