The Los Angeles Dodgers have endured a hefty wave of injuries to their pitching staff yet still managed to largely find success with a large rotation of arms used throughout the season.
Anthony Banda is a part of that mix, having a fine season after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians earlier this year. With the Dodgers, the left-hander owns a 3.23 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 1.31 WHIP, and a .242 batting average allowed over 46 appearances (47.1 innings).
The 31-year-old ran into a rough patch since late August, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits in his four outings since Aug. 30. That led to a questionable moment, when following his appearance on Monday, Banda broke his left hand with a punch, per Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“It was a moment of weakness and frustration,” manager Dave Roberts said, “where he decided to take on a solid object that ultimately won the battle.”
“Emotions kind of played into it, with the outing that he had last night,” Roberts said. “It’s something that I know he regrets, we all regret. And he’ll learn from it.”
As far as his outlook for the remainder of the year, the Dodgers believe there is a sliver of hope that Banda could return at some point:
“It’s going to be a few days without throwing,” Roberts said. “And then hopefully we can build him back.”
The team opted to designate fellow lefty Nick Ramirez before Tuesday’s game, leaving Alex Vesia as the lone southpaw in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Handedness can come into play with certain matchups, but hasn’t detracted them from using the approach that their stable of right-handers are up to the task.
Impact of Anthony Banda injury
At points of his run this season, Banda has been a fairly consistent reliever out of the Dodgers bullpen.
He’s shown the ability to ramp up his velocity to the upper 90s, giving them a hard-throwing option from the left side. From July 21 through Aug. 29, Banda allowed just two earned runs on 12 hits in 17 innings pitched across 17 appearances.
The Dodgers can withstand this loss, but they’re definitely better off with him at the ready.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
