Not to be looking for problems where there aren't any, but there's the little matter of Tim Hudson's short outing last Saturday against the Mets in New York: three innings, matching his April 16 start.
Wrapped around those two brief starts were eight-inning performances April 11 and 21, when Hudson looked like the ace he is supposed to be. So inconsistent has Hudson been that he had recently begun to be referred to as the co-ace, along with John Smoltz. Where does that leave things now that Smoltz is resting from right biceps and shoulder injuries on the 15-day disabled list?
The Braves clubhouse has been rife with germs since spring training -- some sort of mystery virus that doesn't respond to antibiotics. Hudson believes his struggles with the illness are the reason he just hasn't had it every other time he has taken the mound.
But if his start Friday goes less than seven innings, it is fair to wonder whether sputtering velocity and a sinker that doesn't sink are being caused by something arm-related.
