Tim Hudson won his first start since last July on Tuesday night, pitching 5 1/3 of six-hit ball in sparking a 4-3 Atlanta victory over the Florida Marlins.

The former Braves ace returned to the mound after 13 months of rehabilitation following surgery.  Hudson had a ligament replaced in his throwing elbow after experiencing discomfort on July 23, 2008.

Despite the break, Hudson looked strong in his  first start of the season.  He only allowed two earned runs while working into the sixth inning, striking out five and walking three.  He managed the near-quality start with only 82 pitches.

Hudson was a two-time All Star with the Oakland Athletics before being traded to the Braves in 2004.  Between 2005-2008, Hudson became arguably Atlanta’s most reliable pitcher: He was 54-38 with a 3.78 ERA over that span.

22-year old lefty swinging outfielder Jordan Schafer is out for the season due to surgery on his left wrist. Schafer played in 50 games for the Braves this season and he was 34 for 167 (.204 avg, .600 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 2 homers and 8 RBIs. But, he whiffed 63 times in his time with the Braves often looking dazed and confused. Schafer also played in 9 games in AAA-ball this season and he was 8 for 35 (.229 avg, .663 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 2 homers, 3 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Schafer still is a big part of the Braves’ future so they hope he has a full recovery.

The Atlanta Braves have placed starting 1B Casey Kotchman on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised shin. Kotchman has played in 50 games for the Braves this year and he is 48 for 173 (.277 avg, .745 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 2 homers and 24 RBIs. Kotchman will be replaced in the starting lineup by Martin Prado. Prado has played in 38 games this season and he is 27 for 99 (.273 avg, .757 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 2 homers and 7 RBIs. The Braves will miss Kotchman’s defense while he is out of action.

The Braves have placed outfielder Garret Anderson on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left quadriceps muscle. Anderson has played in 10 games for the Braves so far this season and he is 5 for 25 (.200 avg, .551 OPS) with 3 runs scored. The Braves have recalled Brandon Jones from AAA and he should get a lot of playing time while Anderson is out of action. Jones has played in 14 games in AAA-ball this season and he is 16 for 52 (.308 avg, .778 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 8 RBIs and 1 stolen base.

The Braves have placed righty reliever Jorge Campillo on the 15-day disabled list. Campillo has pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Braves this season and he is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA and a 2.70 WHIP. The Braves have recalled 23-year old righty starting pitcher James Parr to replace Campillo on the pitching staff. He is the Braves’ #28 rated prospect according to Baseball America. Parr has started 1 game in AAA-ball this season and he is 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP. Parr started 5 games for the Braves last season and he was 1-0 with a 4.84 ERA. In 5 seasons in the minors prior to 2009, Parr has pitched in 114 games (100 starts) in which he is 43-30 with 4 saves, a 4.00 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.