Story by
Former Dodger Anthony Banda Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
- Story by
- Former Dodger Anthony Banda Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
Former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Anthony Banda underwent surgery to repair his lat and will miss the rest of the 2026 season.
Banda, now with the Minnesota Twins , played with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025, playing crucial roles in both of their World Series runs.
Notes:
— Anthony Banda had surgery to repair his lat and is out for the season. Said he expects to be ready for spring training.
— Ryan Jeffers was in the clubhouse, appears ready to go.
— No timeline yet for Mick Abel , who had his bone shaved, but is optimistic. #MNTwins— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 9, 2026
The left-hander initially joined the Dodgers midway through 2024, when the Cleveland Guardians sent him over. The Dodgers called him up just two days after his initial arrival in the organization, and had a solid run throughout the remainder of the season.
Advertisement
Banda posted a 3.08 ERA through his 48 appearances in 2024, striking out 50 batters through 49.2 innings pitched. In the playoffs that season, Banda pitched 10 times and had a 1.13 ERA throughout the postseason, only allowing one run.
He returned in 2025, leading the team with 71 appearances and posting a 3.18 ERA through 65 innings pitched. In last year's postseason, Banda struggled to produce at the same level as the year prior, allowing six runs through 5.2 innings.
The Dodgers decided to move on from the fan favorite in the following offseason, designating him for assignment before eventually trading him to the Minnesota Twins for international bonus pool money .
The southpaw hasn't looked as sharp as he did on the Dodgers with the Twins, posting a 4.46 ERA through his 39 appearances on the year. He maintained a fairly similar strikeout rate, but the rest of his numbers have regressed since joining Minnesota.
Advertisement
He went down with a lat strain at the end of June.
Jun 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Anthony Banda against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Who has taken over Anthony Banda's spot in the bullpen since his departure?
The Dodgers had plenty of left-handers in their bullpen to pick up Banda's slack after they designated him for assignment, and they've more than done their job this season. Tanner Scott has bounced back from a disappointing campaign last year, and has a sub-3.00 ERA on the season.
Alex Vesia is also having a solid year for the Dodgers, posting a 2.35 ERA over the course of 41 games. Despite a few errant outings, Jack Dreyer has also been solid for the Dodgers, posting a 3.11 ERA through 37 games.
Advertisement
While Banda was one of the Dodgers' better pitchers during his tenure, LA has done well to reinforce their bullpen since getting rid of him.
The post Former Dodger Anthony Banda Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery appeared first on LA Sports Report .
