In news that’s not completely unexpected but certainly a blow to their rotation, the won’t have starter Tim Hudson for the first month of the 2012 season as he continues his recovery from back surgery. Atlanta is +900 on WagerWeb.com to win the NL pennant this season on our MLB baseball bets.

The 36-year-old’s procedure, which was performed by Atlanta neurosurgeon Dr. Stevan Wray on Nov. 28, involved fusing the L5/S1 disk in his back. Hudson, at spring training in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., said he was feeling better than he had in 10 years and was able to perform simple tasks that previously caused him pain, like putting on shoes.

“Now that I have had [the surgery] and I feel really good about it, I feel like I can play a really long time,” Hudson said.

He said he never really expected to be back in time for the start of the season, adding that “from a strength standpoint, I’m not quite where I want to be, but I usually get that back pretty quick.”

While Hudson was telling friends that he did not believe he would be ready for the start of the season, the Braves initially said he could recover from the surgery and be ready for the start of Spring Training.

“Me getting back for the start of the season was never really a possibility, just from a timeline standpoint,” Hudson said. “The kind of surgery I had is a three-to-sixth-month deal. Five months puts me at May 1.”

A three-time All-Star, Hudson was 16-10 with a 3.22 ERA last season with 158 strikeouts in 215 innings. He pitched through back pain in 2010 and 2011, relying on anti-inflammatory medication. He put off surgery before relenting in November.

His absence could open a spot for Julio Teheran or Randall Delgado on the rotation. Hudson isn’t the only Braves starter dealing with physical issues this spring. Righthander Tommy Hanson missed almost two months last season because of a shoulder strain, and righthander Jair Jurrjens missed the final month because of a knee injury.

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