The Los Angeles Dodgers completed their third deal of the day on Thursday, just minutes before the start of their series finale against the San Diego Padres.
Relief pitcher Anthony Banda was activated off the injured list, while reliever Brent Honeywell Jr. was placed on the disabled list with a shattered right middle fingernail.
Banda, 31, has been out since September 10 with a left hand fracture. Off the field, he was frustrated and struck a paper towel dispenser in the clubhouse, causing the injuries.
Prior to his injury, he had made 46 Dodgers appearances this season, finishing 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA. He has also struck out 50 batters in 47.1 innings, holding opponents to a.247 batting average against.
Banda has returned to the Dodgers after a brief absence.
Meanwhile, Honeywell returns to the IL for the first time in 2024 to conclude his regular season.
This season, he appeared in 18 games for the Dodgers, giving up 10 runs in 34.1 innings while striking out 17.
Banda and Honeywell were just two of the Dodgers’ several movements on Thursday.
According to manager Dave Roberts, starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw will not be available for the Dodgers in the first round of the postseason, possibly not until 2025.
Roberts told reporters Thursday at Dodger Stadium that Kershaw will not be a “viable” pitching option for the next few weeks due to a bone spur in his left big toe.
The Dodgers weren’t depending on the left-hander, but he’d been throwing bullpens to keep his arm healthy. In 2024, he finished his regular season with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 earned-run average in 30 innings in seven starts.
Right-handed flamethrower Brusdar Graterol also returned to the IL on Thursday due to shoulder inflammation. Ben Casparius was recalled in a comparable move.
The final batch of transactions featured catcher Austin Barnes and Hunter Feduccia. Barnes was activated off the injured list after fracturing his toe for the second time, while Feduccia was optioned back to Triple-A.
The Dodgers want to claim the National League West title—and a bye into the best-of-three NL Wild Card round—by defeating the San Diego Padres at home on Thursday night.
