Hudson was pulled early from Wednesday's start at Triple-A Memphis in anticipation of a possible callup, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The right-hander was abruptly pulled with one out in the second, and a Cardinals official confirmed the move was unrelated to any injury. While an official promotion to the big-league club hasn't been confirmed, it's notable that Hudson seemed to be receiving congratulatory sentiments from his manager Stubby Clapp and several teammates after exiting the contest. The Cardinals' starting rotation is currently in flux, with Carlos Martinez (oblique) still needing to get through a Friday throwing session before being confirmed for Monday's start, and projected Sunday starter John Gant having been forced into relief duty Wednesday. If promoted, Hudson will have to be placed on the 40-man roster.