Months after first hearing Hudson rave about the high-end torso rotation machine that he'd discovered in the offseason, and in large part in response to Hudson's latest bout with his vexing side injury, the team put in an order for one of the top-of-the-line contraptions. It's expected to arrive in Oakland at some point during the next homestand.

"I first saw it when I was working out at Auburn [University] in the offseason, and it's awesome," Hudson said Tuesday. "It's different from everything else like it."

The machine, explained strength and conditioning coach Clarence Cockrell, is different from other torso machines in that it basically "locks down" the upper body and legs, completely isolating the trunk muscles that bear so much stress in baseball.

"The first time I used it, the next day both of my sides were so sore I could barely move," Hudson said. "That's when you know you got a good workout."

The delay in acquiring the MedX-manufactured machine, Hudson and Cockrell agreed, was a matter of money.

"It's almost twice as much as all the other stuff like it," Hudson said.

"It's an expensive machine, no doubt about it," Cockrell added. "It's like, do you want a Chevy Cavalier, which is a good car, or do you want an Escalade? This is the Escalade of its type."

And when you watch the bottom line as closely as the A's, every expense is scrutinized. If it costs more than $500, it needs to be approved by the front office. So when Hudson arrived at Spring Training touting what he'd seen at his alma mater, the reaction of Oakland's staff of trainers was something along the lines of, "That's great, Tim. How much is it?"

The answer: $6,000. Predictably, the team took a pass. But when Hudson went on the disabled list June 26 -- "As soon as I got hurt," he said -- everyone agreed the machine deserved another look.

"We had tried everything else to prevent that injury from happening, and not just with Huddy," Cockrell said. "We've had a lot of guys with strained obliques. So we researched it online, got the approval of the [team] doctors and the physical therapists, then took it upstairs [for approval from the front office.]"

It didn't take long for the brass to sign off on the purchase, and Hudson heartily endorsed the investment as a sound one.

"You get what you pay for," said Hudson, who said he'll order one of the machines for his home later this season. "I mean, if six grand now can prevent a couple of million-dollar players from going on the DL, that's money well-spent."

All Huddy, all the time: Hudson, who threw 33 pitches at close to maximum intensity from the front of a bullpen mound Monday, said Tuesday that he felt better than he has in weeks Tuesday and was "finally" optimistic about returning to the rotation soon.

"I'm encouraged by the last couple days," he said. "I've been able to really get after it like I haven't been able to in a long time."

He'll get Wednesday off and throw in the bullpen again Thursday. Then he'll get some more rest and throw in a simulated game before testing his health in the minors.

"Assuming there's no setbacks, I think I might go on a rehab assignment at the start of our [July 29-Aug.9] road trip [to Texas, New York and Minnesota]," he said. "A simulated game lets you get your work in, but I need to see how everything reacts when you add adrenaline to the mix before I get back out there in a big-league game."

Asked about recent talk that he might be used in relief when he's activated, Hudson laughed.

"I guess that's fun to talk about and think about, because some people have joked about being able to see me as a closer," he said. "And I think it would be exciting to do at some point. Those last three outs are the toughest to get, and I think I'd enjoy trying to get 'em at some point in my career, but not until I'm old and decrepit.

"For now, though, I can't see it. I want the ball in my hand as much as possible, and starters have the ball more than anyone."

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.