The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a revolving door of relievers in the first two months of the 2024 MLB season.
It would be hard to tell from the 2.99 bullpen ERA that ranks L.A. third in the Majors, but it has been a journey to field eight relievers each game. The Dodgers searched externally over the weekend and acquired left-hander Anthony Banda from the Cleveland Guardians.
Banda was brought in by the Dodgers on Friday. He arrived at the stadium and met his new teammates and manager Dave Roberts on Sunday, and was activated before making his Dodgers debut in the same day.
And yet, even amid all that chaos, he did what all Dodgers relievers seem to do. He retired the side in order with a strikeout to hold a 2-2 tie in the 10th inning, setting up a Shohei Ohtani walk-off and getting a win in his debut.
Banda spoke about the message that Roberts and the Dodgers gave to him when he arrived over the weekend from Cleveland, according to Mirjam Swanson of The O.C. Register:
“It’s obviously elite players here … but it’s just trusting your stuff,” said Banda, bespectacled and impressively tattooed. “The first message they told me, ‘Hey, be yourself here. We got you for a reason, we love you.’ So that broke the ice for me, and I went out there and did my thing.”
The Dodgers have been a machine over the last decade in terms of churning out good pitching and getting production from unheralded players. And while there are certainly coaching and systemic reasons for that success, sometimes it is as simple as a show of faith in a new arm.
Banda was able to calm any nerves and deliver an incredible performance in a high-pressure situation thanks to the confidence that the Dodgers gave him right off the bat.
It’s that type of management that has defined L.A.’s success since Roberts and company took charge. Now, Banda hopes to continue being a go-to arm as the Dodgers deal with injuries and an ongoing revolving door.
Evan Phillips and Ryan Brasier nearing returns for Dodgers
Two relievers that have been out of commission for the Dodgers are Evan Phillips and Ryan Brasier. Both provide significant help for the bullpen, and both are potentially a week or so away from returning.
Phillips is pain-free from his hamstring injury and Brasier is considered to be nearing the end of his calf strain recovery.
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