Gavin Lux injury leaves Dodgers in a precarious position

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a hole yet again with a gaping need to fill at shortstop. Gavin Lux was widely expected to take over the key middle infield  position, but an awkward step on the base path has resulted in a season-ending injury for him, leaving the Dodgers needing to find an elite-level shortstop for the third time in three years.

On Monday afternoon, in a Spring training game against the San Diego Padres in Arizona, Lux was on second base when Luke Williams hit a grounder to third. As Lux advanced to third, Jantzen Witte threw the ball to second to turn the double play and in trying to avoid the throw, Lux’s knee went out.

He spent several minutes writhing on the ground, visibly shaken as Dodger trainers talked with him.

As he was carted off the field, manager Dave Roberts expressed hope that it wasn’t as serious as it looked, but that hope was dashed as scans revealed that Lux has torn his ACL and MCL and will be out for the entire season. This is a serious blow to both Lux and the Dodgers.

The 25-year-old Lux was all set to take over the everyday shortstop spot for LA, and this was widely expected to be his breakout year.

A first-round pick out of high school by the Dodgers back in 2016, Lux was a shortstop in the minors before shifting over to second base upon being called up. 2022 saw him get 93 starts at second, while also picking up a bit of left field and shortstop. Over 471 plate appearances, he hit .276 with 20 doubles, seven triples, six home runs, 42 RBIs, and seven stolen bases.

As for the Dodgers, they head into the start of the regular season in need of a top-tier shortstop. Again.

The job had been Corey Seager’s before he decamped for Texas after the 2021 season. Trea Turner slid over to reclaim his natural spot, setting the league on fire last season, before moving back east in the off season, leaving the coast clear for Lux to shift back to where he rightfully belongs.

With the acquisition of Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ bets are hedged, as he will likely split time with Chris Taylor at the hot spot. Dave Roberts has also said that it is very likely that Mookie Betts will get more playing time at second, and while all of these are good interim options, it is not at all clear who will claim the middle infield as their own.

With options limited in the short term, the Dodgers will likely have to just try things out through the first half of the season, feeling out trade options from around the league. Whatever winds up happening, the mid season transfer window is likely to be wild.