With lefty Robbie Ray of the Arizona Diamondbacks out with concussion systems, lefty Anthony Banda could fill a critical rotation.
With the return for All-Star lefty Robbie Ray uncertain, this is an ideal opportunity for left-hander Anthony Banda, the number one prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks, to make a statement.
In his second major-league start Friday night against the San Francisco Giants, Banda showed why the Diamondbacks could hold an ace in their back pocket. In his two starts for Arizona this summer, Banda showed a strong fast ball and an even better willingness to adopt and change.
That may be the defining feature on how the Diamondbacks look at a possible replacement for Ray. Before Friday’s game with the Giants at AT&T Park, manager Torey Lovullo told Call to the Pen that Ray has resume minor baseball activity, and begun throwing at 120 feet. At the same time, there is no timetable for his return, and Lovullo, along with general manager Mike Hazen, will likely be forced into decisions which will directly affect the Diamondbacks’ run for a post-season position.
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On July 28, Ray was hit in the head with a line drive off the bat of the Cardinals’ Luke Voit. As directed by Major-League’s concussion protocol, Ray went on the seven-day and there he remains.
In Banda’s case, the rookie left-hander made it clear that he needs to adjust in order to survive at the major-league level. After his initial start against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field on July 22, Banda made that pronouncement. Despite yielding a first inning homer to Bryce Harper, Banda then settled into a competitive groove. Despite yielding three runs in the sixth inning, Banda came away satisfied that his effort was strong.
On Friday against the Giants, he turned in another solid effort and limited San Francisco to one run in an efficient 92-pitch endeavor. The reward was Banda’s first major-league victory and a 2-1 vwin over the Giants before 38,967 in AT&T Park.
Afterward, Banda told Call to the Pen that the coaching staff pointed out the importance of adapting and changing.
“Last time (against Washington), hitters caught on (by the third at-bat) and we talked about that,” he said. “So, we decided to go after hitters and stress keeping the ball down. It becomes a matter of execution, and all about focus and getting through pitch by pitch.”
After the Diamondbacks grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the fourth, Banda balanced a tightrope. The Giants managed to load the bases with one out and Banda walked Brandon Crawford to force in the tying run. As quickly as the native of Corpus Christi, Tex. unraveled, he quickly elevated is game. Banda responded striking out Gorkys Hernandez and Ryder Jones bounced to second to end the frame.
The fact Banda was able to recover from what could have been a nasty situation drew direct praise from Lovullo.
“After facing those guys on base, it’s difficult to get locked back in,” Lovullo told Call to the Pen. “I thought he handled that extremely well, and then settled down. He gave us six solid innings, and then handed the game over to the bullpen.”
From there, the trio of Jorge De La Rosa, David Hernandez and closer Fernando Rodney retired the final nine Giants in succession.
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After two competitive outings from Banda, Lovullo could be faced with a dilemma. Now under consideration, did Banda show enough to stay in the rotation. If not, do the Diamondbacks recognize Banda as an important asset to assist down the stretch run.