Biography
Frank Anthony Banda (born August 10, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017.
Amateur career
Banda attended Sinton High School in Sinton, Texas, where he played for the school's baseball team. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Banda in the 33rd round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign and attended San Jacinto College, where he pitched to a 1.95 ERA in 64 2/3 innings.
Professional career
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Banda in the tenth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft out of San Jacinto College. He signed and made his professional debut that year with the AZL Brewers where he was 2–3 with a 5.83 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched. In 2013, he played for the Helena Brewers where he pitched to a 3–4 record and 4.45 ERA in 14 starts, and he began 2014 with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On July 31, 2014, the Brewers traded Banda and Mitch Haniger to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Gerardo Parra. Arizona assigned him to the South Bend Silver Hawks, where he finished the season. In 26 combined games (twenty starts) between Wisconsin and South Bend, he compiled a 9–6 record with a 3.03 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He spent 2015 with the Visalia Rawhide where he was 8–8 with a 3.32 ERA in 28 games (27 starts). Banda began 2016 with the Mobile BayBears and was promoted to the Reno Aces in June. He played in the All-Star Futures Game that July. In 26 starts between Mobile and Reno he pitched to a 10–6 record and 2.88 ERA. The Diamondbacks added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season. Banda started the 2017 season pitching Reno.Banda made his major league debut on July 22, 2017, taking the loss in a game against the Washington Nationals. Banda was effective for the first two times through the division-leading Nationals' batting order, giving up his only run on a titanic solo shot by Bryce Harper that reached the Chase Field concourse but gave up three more runs and was pulled in the sixth inning. He was optioned back to Reno the next day. He was recalled twice more and finished the season with a 2–3 record and 5.96 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. In 22 starts for Reno he was 8–7 with a 5.39 ERA.
Tampa Bay Rays
On February 18, 2018, the Diamondbacks traded Banda to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade, in which the New York Yankees acquired Brandon Drury from Arizona, the Diamondbacks acquired Steven Souza from the Rays and Taylor Widener from the Yankees, and the Rays acquired Nick Solak from the Yankees and two players to be named later (Sam McWilliams and Colin Poche) from the Diamondbacks. Banda began the 2018 season with the Durham Bulls. He made his Rays debut on May 15, 2018 against the Kansas City Royals. On June 4, he was diagnosed a torn ulnar collateral ligament with requiring Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his 2018 season and half of the following season.