Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Sunday that he expects Hudson (elbow) to begin a minor-league rehab assignment within the next week or so, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Hudson looked to have little chance of making an appearance at any level in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery Sept. 28 of last year, but not only is he nearing a return to minor-league action, but the organization is also leaving the door open for him to join the Cardinals next month. Before a rehab assignment is mapped out, Hudson will likely continue to build up the intensity of his live batting-practice sessions over the next few days at the Cardinals' training facility in Florida. The 26-year-old doesn't realistically have enough time to get his arm conditioned for a starting role at this stage of the season, so he'll almost certainly be deployed out of the bullpen if the Cardinals bring him back from the 60-day injured list at any point.