Dodgers Reliever Has Hand Fracture, Pushing Up Brusdar Graterol’s Return
In a last-minute roster move before Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers revealed relief pitcher Anthony Banda would be placed on the injured list and Brusdar Graterol would be activated.
Roberts told reporters, including Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain, that Banda broke the bone when he punched a solid object out of frustration after his most recent outing.
In his only inning against the Cubs on Monday, Banda inherited a pair of runners from Walker Buehler and immediately allowed an RBI single to Michael Busch, giving the Cubs a 5-2 lead. He would allow two more hits and one more run before the inning ended.
“It was a moment of weakness and frustration where he decided to take on a solid object that ultimately won the battle,” Roberts said after Tuesday’s game. “It was something that, emotions kind of played into it, with the outing that he had last night. It’s something that I know he regrets, we all regret. He’ll learn from it.”
Even though the fateful punch elicited the hairline fracture in Banda’s throwing hand, Roberts said there is hope of getting him back this season.
Graterol returned to the Dodgers bullpen after a brief 2024 debut that lasted just eight pitches. Initially, there were fears that he might be out for the season due to a right hamstring strain. However, an MRI conducted the next day showed it was only a Grade 1 strain, less severe than first expected.
The 24-year-old right-hander has been sidelined since Aug. 7 and wasn’t expected to be back in the bullpen until Wednesday but the injury to Banda forced the Dodgers to activate him a day early.
He’s made just one appearance this season, giving up two runs on one hit in a third of an inning.
Now in his fourth season with the Dodgers, Graterol has compiled a 10-8 record with a 2.89 ERA across 172 career games. He began his Major League career with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, where he went 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA over 10 games. The Dodgers acquired him on Feb. 10, 2020, along with Luke Raley, in a trade that sent pitcher Kenta Maeda and infielder Jair Camargo to the Twins.
As a solid presence for the Dodgers this season, Banda appeared in 46 games and posted a 2-2 record with a 3.23 ERA. The 31-year-old left-hander has racked up 50 strikeouts over 47.1 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .247 batting average.
For much of the season, Banda has been a reliable arm out of the Dodgers’ bullpen, though he recently hit a rough patch, likely due to a heavy workload.
The Dodgers picked up Banda from the Cleveland Guardians on May 17, sending cash considerations in return.
Over parts of eight major league seasons, Banda has pitched for several teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks (2017), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-2020), New York Mets (2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2021-2022), Toronto Blue Jays (2022), New York Yankees (2022), Washington Nationals (2023), and now the Dodgers (2024).
Across 136 games (seven starts), he has a career record of 9-8 with a 4.99 ERA.
Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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