Huddy's ankle

Tim Hudson left last night's game with a broken ankle, and will undergo season-ending surgery to have it repaired.  Recovery times from this type of injury vary depending upon the player.  Derek Jeter's ankle fracture kept him on the shelf for roughly nine months, but other guys have come back within three or four months.  Huddy is likely to be on the longer end of the spectrum, as his injury appeared to be acutely devastating. 

Coming back from a broken ankle is tough for any player to do, much less a pitcher closing in on 40.  It's too early to speculate what kind of impact this will have on his decision to come back in 2014, be it to the Braves or another team, but this obviously doesn't make that process any easier.  One hates to underestimate Huddy, and the knowledge of his medical prognosis is lacking (medical knowledge in general is lacking), but the expectation level should be rather low as it relates to his ability to come back from this and be an effective pitcher.  However, if anyone can do it, it's Tim Hudson. 

As for the rest of the season, the loss of Huddy likely means Beachy takes his spot in the rotation, so the rotation as of today would be Beachy/Wood/Medlen/Minor/Teheran with Maholm in limbo, assuming Beachy makes it back to Atlanta with no more setbacks.  Atlanta is in a fortunate position to be as deep as they are pitching-wise, but this may prompt them to become more active in the starting pitching market, a market they've been rumored to be apart of even before the injury. 

The loss of Tim Hudson is a kick to the gut, but it's a blow that can and should be absorbed.  His replacement should provide equivalent value, and the Braves should be able to carry on in 2013 without missing much of a beat.  That's not so much a statement about Huddy as much as it is a statement about organizational depth.  You can never have too much pitching.