Banda (elbow), who most recently allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks over 1.1 innings while recording three strikeouts in an appearance for the Gulf Coast League Rays on Tuesday, owns a 3.60 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and .318 BAA over five innings across his first four rehab starts.
The southpaw is in the final stages of his recovery from his May 2018 Tommy John surgery, and he's being brought along slowly. Banda hasn't pitched more than 1.2 innings in any of his first four turns with the GCL squad, with the 25-year-old working up to a modest 21 pitches in Tuesday's outing. Given the deliberate pace of his rehab thus far, Banda is still likely looking at an August return at the earliest.