Tim Hudson's September Return Creates Uncertainty in Atlanta Braves' Rotation

Tim Hudson is quickly pitching his way back from Tommy John surgery and is currently slated to return to the Braves' 25-man roster on Sept. 2.

When Hudson returns, the Braves will have a decision to make. Barring injury, Atlanta's rotation will have six capable starters.

As I see it, the Braves have four possible solutions to consider.

They could either move one of three starters—Kenshin Kawakami, Tommy Hanson, or Tim Hudson—to the bullpen, or they could go with a six-man rotation for the last month of the season.

The option of putting Tim Hudson in the bullpen is one the Braves have probably already considered and dismissed.

Hudson is clearly getting ready to return to the starting rotation, and you can't blame the Braves for wanting him there.

Not only was Hudson one of the team's best pitchers over the last several seasons, but they also need to evaluate him to see if they should pick up his $12 million option for 2010 or let him leave via free agency.

The only way Hudson enters the bullpen in 2009 is if the Braves are in still in the middle of the playoff hunt and Hudson is completely ineffective as a starter once he returns.

Another option that the Braves may be considering is utilizing a six-man rotation for the last month of the season. After all, they will theoretically have six competent starters who all deserve to start.

This seems unlikely though simply because it's unconventional. Bobby Cox seems to like things that are predictable and doesn't like to mix things up to much. I can't see the Braves utilizing this second option.

The most likely options the Braves have seem to be moving either Kawakami or Hanson out of the rotation. While most of the focus has been on sending Kawakami to the bullpen, I personally don't think that the answer is that clear.

As I wrote in my last article, Kawakami has been one of the most underrated starters in the majors this season. Despite a record of only 6-9, Kawakami has put up an ERA of 3.36 since the end of April and has been very effective lately in big games.

He seems to be hitting his stride at the end of his first season in the majors and has the lowest ERA on the Braves' starting staff in August.

Tommy Hanson though has also been very effective since the All-Star break, posting an ERA of 3.35. He is clearly living up to the hype and is the future of the Braves' rotation.

Do the Braves really want to mess with his confidence and hurt his chances of taking home the National League Rookie of the Year Award?

In my opinion, I think that despite the potential downsides, the Braves' best option is to move Hanson to the bullpen when Hudson returns.

So far in 2009 Hanson has thrown 153 innings between Atlanta and Gwinnett. As has become common in recent years with pitchers such as Joba Chamberlain, it may be the logical decision to conserve Hanson's precious arm at the end of the season.

He has already pitched 15 more innings than he ever has in one season and is a valuable asset to the Braves' future plans. A move to the bullpen would allow Bobby Cox to more closely monitor Hanson's innings.

Will the Braves move Hanson to the bullpen when Hudson returns? It depends. If the Braves are still in a hot playoff race, they may elect to keep Hanson in the rotation and move Kawakami to the bullpen.

On the other hand, if Frank Wren and Bobby Cox see themselves out of the playoff hunt come early September, they would be smart to utilize Hanson out of the bullpen when Tim Hudson returns.