THE The Dodgers relief activated Brusdar Graterol from the injured list a day earlier than expected, on Tuesday evening.
It wasn’t for the reason the team had hoped.
Shortly before the first throw of Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Chicago CubsThe team announced that key left-handed reliever Anthony Banda was on the injured list with a fractured left hand.
The cause of the injury?
“It was a moment of weakness and frustration,” manager Dave Roberts said, “where he decided to go after a solid object that ultimately won the battle.”
AKA, Banda punched something out of anger (Roberts didn’t say what) after giving up two runs in an outing Monday night.
“Emotions played a role in his performance last night,” Roberts said. “It’s something he regrets, we all regret. And he’ll learn from it.”
Roberts was hopeful Banda, a midseason minor league acquisition who has carved out a prominent role in the Dodgers’ bullpen, would return before the end of the season, noting the pitcher had only a hairline fracture in his throwing hand.
“He’s going to be out of action for a few days,” Roberts said. “And then hopefully we can build him back up.”
Banda, who has a 3.23 ERA in 46 outings this year, was not in the Dodgers’ locker room when reporters entered after the game.
Learn more: ‘A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’: The Dodgers’ Role in MLB’s Pitching Injury Epidemic
Graterol was originally scheduled to be activated Wednesday after missing the last month with a hamstring strain he suffered in his season debut on Aug. 6 — a strain that was delayed by a shoulder injury he suffered in spring training.
The hard-throwing right-hander, who was initially feared out for the rest of the season after being helped off the field in his only outing this season, returned to action with a scoreless ninth inning in the loss, working around two hits while touching 99 mph with his fastball.
“I think, based on the quality of contact he’s made, he’s not very sharp, and he shouldn’t be,” Roberts said of Graterol, who has been a great relief pitcher for the Dodgers in recent years. “But that’s part of the reason. We have time to refine things with Brusdar.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
