Dodgers reliever's devastating injury is even more embarrassing than you thought

When Anthony Banda went onto the IL on Sept. 10 with a fractured hand, Dave Roberts' explanation was weirdly vague. Banda had just pitched an inning against the Cubs and gave up two runs on three hits the day before, and suddenly he was on the IL after a "moment of weakness and frustration where he decided to take on a solid object that ultimately won the battle."

Most fans and commentators assumed that Banda had punched a wall, but it's hard to trace where that rumor came from. The Dodgers never said he punched a wall. Fans weren't wrong to assume, though; Cubs pitcher Colten Brewer made headlines in July when he punched a wall and broke his hand.

But Banda wanted to set the record straight on how he fractured his hand. It's hard to tell why, as his explanation made him look even worse and is an even dumber cause than the original assumption. The "solid object" in question was actually a paper towel dispenser, and Banda hit it just right and fractured a bone.

Dude, you probably should've just let people believe you punched a wall.

Anthony Banda still rehabbing after a broken hand — not from a punched wall, but from a punched paper towel dispenser

Banda started playing catch four days after the initial incident, threw a bullpen session on Thursday, and had a 30-pitch workout on Saturday ahead of the Dodgers' second game against the Rockies. He's scheduled for live batting practice on Monday and is expected to be back with the team on Wednesday or Thursday.

Banda came over from the Guardians in May as part of a cash trade and was almost immediately promoted to the majors. His performance was a welcome surprise; before the incident, he pitched 46 1/3 innings, a career high, for a 3.30 ERA and survived a myriad of roster moves that kept sending relievers up and down.

Although it'll be nice to have him back on the roster through the last few games of the season, his future on the postseason roster feels nebulous with Brent Honeywell still pitching nicely out of the bullpen. The last few bullpen spots — currently filled by Honeywell and Ben Casparius — feel like they could be up for grabs or eliminated entirely in October, and while Banda has already suffered some humiliation because of his injury, he might be at risk for a cut when the regular season ends.