CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians have traded left-handed reliever Anthony Banda to the Dodgers in exchange for cash, the team announced before Friday’s series opener against the Twins.
Banda, 30, recorded a 2.12 ERA over 17 innings in 12 appearances for Triple-A Columbus. He joined Cleveland on a minor league deal in January, which included an invite to major league spring training.
After being assigned to Columbus, Banda achieved 25 strikeouts with a 0.94 WHIP, walking only six batters and averaging an impressive 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
With Sam Hentges returning to the bullpen healthy and second-year reliever Tim Herrin performing well, the Guardians had sufficient left-handed pitching depth at the major league level, allowing them to trade Banda.
Hentges is back in Cleveland for Friday’s game after missing the Texas series to be with his wife Caitlin for the birth of their son, Jaxson James, on Tuesday.
