Dodgers Pitcher Who Broke Hand With Punch Explains How It Happened
When the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Anthony Banda was placed on the injured list with a hairline fracture in his hand, it caused many to scratch their heads. When did he do that? It wasn’t during a game?
Manager Dave Roberts said Banda hit a “solid object” with his pitching hand in frustration after allowing two runs during the Sept. 9 game against the Chicago Cubs.
“It was very embarrassing, very shameful,” Banda told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “I really felt like I let everybody down.”
Banda, a mid-May acquisition from the Cleveland Guardians who had carved out a higher leverage role by going 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 46 games before going on the 15-day injured list, clarified how the injury happened and surprisingly, he “didn’t punch anything.”
“I didn’t punch anything,” Banda, 31, said. “I hit the outside of my fist against a paper towel dispenser out of frustration, and apparently, I hit the weakest bone just right, to where it fractured.
“I’m not saying that’s OK to do, but it’s not as bad as what people thought as far as me punching something straight on. I don’t do that with anything, because there’s a risk. I look at it as more of a freak accident, but yes, it was a learning experience.”
Banda is set to throw live batting practice on Monday, and Roberts expects him to be activated from the IL on Wednesday or Thursday when he’s eligible.
“The most frustrating thing is this entire time, I didn’t have any pain or soreness, just some swelling in the hand,” Banda said. “But the fact that it’s responding well and I haven’t lost any ability to spin my pitches or add velocity is a huge plus. It was a big scare, but at the end of the day, when I get active, I want to put it behind me and do everything I can to help this team.”
Part of the recovery process for Banda was apologizing to his bullpen teammates.
“They understand the frustration and emotion part of it,” Banda said. “They obviously weren’t pleased with the result of what happened, but they were supportive. They had my back. A lot of them were texting me throughout the week, on the road trip, asking me how I was doing. That in itself shows a lot. I know they’re eager to get me back.”
It was also a learning experience.
“It’s a very competitive game, and this won’t be the last time I blow up, but I have to understand that the consequences are real, that anything can happen in those weak moments, and those are things that will potentially haunt me for the rest of my career.
“I’m a human being, I make mistakes, and this was a costly one. I’m not looking for sympathy — this was on me, and I’ve owned it. We all do stupid things, and I hate the idea that I did this to myself, but as long as we learn from them we can move on.”
Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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