BRAVES NOTEBOOK: Atlanta to miss facing former teammate Hudson

ATLANTA —Leesburg native Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants will be coming to Atlanta this weekend, but when they do former Brave Tim Hudson won’t take the mound.

Hudson started Wednesday night for the Giants, which means he’s not in line to get a start during this weekend’s three-game series at Turner Field that starts tonight.

The way the dates fall, Hudson won’t be in line to pitch when the Braves go out to San Francisco to play the Giants on May 12-14 either.

This weekend it’ll be Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner for the Giants, which might be good news for the Braves. Hudson is off to a 3-1 start, with a 2.19 ERA.

Freddie Freeman, being the competitor he is, was disappointed not to get a chance to face his friend and former teammate.

“Especially on a weekend series, it would have been packed,” said Freeman, who then asked and was told they wouldn’t see him in San Francisco either. “That’s too bad. There’s always next year. He signed a two-year deal, right? It’d be fun to face him, obviously, but that’s not how the cards lie.”

The Braves had interest in bringing the free agent Hudson back for this season but couldn’t compete with the Giants’ offer of two years, $23 million. Hudson still makes his home in Auburn, Ala., and has a host of close friends on the Braves roster after nine years with the team.

“It’s always weird and awkward when you face a guy you played with for four years and all of a sudden he’s on a different team,” Freeman said. “Especially a guy of that magnitude for the Braves. He was here for nine years. I think it’s less stress for him and his family (for him not to pitch). I’m sure (wife) Kim (Hudson) wouldn’t be too thrilled with that.”

Freeman smiled.

“Get him next year,” he said.

FLOYD READY TO RETURN: Braves pitcher Gavin Floyd completed his minor league rehabilitation assignment Tuesday night with Triple-A Gwinnett, and barring something unforeseen, the Braves will activate him from the disabled list sometime this weekend.

Today will signal the end of his 30-day minor league rehabilitation period, a maximum for a pitcher, and barring further injury, Floyd has to be activated by Sunday. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Floyd will throw a bullpen session today,, and if he feels good the Braves will put him on the roster.

“When he’s ready to go, we’ll put him in here some place,” Gonzalez said. “Plug him in.”

The greater question is where.

The Braves are leading the majors in ERA at 2.59.

They don’t figure to take young gun Julio Teheran, the veteran Ervin Santana or the majors’ leader in ERA Aaron Harang out of the rotation. Mike Minor is just getting ready to return tonight against the Giants. So then who, Alex Wood? Wood (2-4, with a 2.93 ERA) had been dominant in his first five starts, before giving up seven earned runs on Tuesday night against the Marlins.

When asked Wednesday afternoon, if he was thinking about moving Wood to the bullpen, Gonzalez said no. Gonzalez also said Wood would make his next scheduled start on Sunday against the Giants, following Minor and Teheran in his normal spot.

Gonzalez said the Braves are not basing this decision on an innings count for Wood either.

“I’m not even thinking about it,” Gonzalez said. “If it was obvious in September, we could talk about it a little more. That’s not even on the horizon.”

The Braves have no intention of sending Floyd to the minor leagues, an assignment he could refuse anyway based on his major league service time.

So perhaps that leaves the bullpen then, for Floyd, at least until something changes within the rotation.

Floyd has been issue-free throughout his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which will reach its year anniversary on May 7. He has gone 1-2 with a 4.13 ERA in six minor league rehab starts with Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. He has given up 13 runs (11 earned) in 24 innings, walking 10 and striking out 17.

Floyd threw 77 pitches for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday night in five innings of one-run work. He then threw another couple of simulated innings in the indoor cages after the game in Toledo was delayed by rain.