Dave Roberts Did not mention Gavin Lux Discuss by name Dodgers Infield plans from a few weeks ago.
Given the makeup of their team, there was no need to do so.
When asked about the possibility of playing on July 3 Mookie Betts Roberts was careful not to make any guarantees, as Betts will play second base when he returns from a broken wrist.
“Spend as much time as possible [before making a decision]”Because we have to be grateful for the people it could impact,” Roberts said.
Of course, no one will be more affected than Lux, who received all of his playing time at second base this season, and who would be the one most likely to see a minutes cut if Betts returns to the starting lineup at second base given his disappointing performance in his return from knee surgery last year.
“There’s no point in me saying it because it could get into the psychology of other players,” Roberts said.
Roberts may not have addressed the issue publicly, but in recent days, Lux has looked like a player willing to change the narrative, and he followed up a strong performance on Saturday with another highlight on Sunday that was key to the Dodgers’ win. 9-6 victory Beat the Boston Red Sox.
“Obviously, I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone that this year has been a bit of a struggle for me,” Lux said with a sigh of relief, “so getting the results and the positive feedback definitely helps.”
Lux smashed a double down the left field line to erase a two-run deficit in the first inning on Sunday, and followed that with a home run and a double on Saturday night to record three straight extra-base hits to help the Dodgers overcome an early two-run deficit.
Three innings later, Lux came to bat again and smashed a home run into left field, giving the Dodgers a 4-2 lead and sealing a sweep victory at Dodger Stadium.
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1. Gavin Lux hit a solo home run in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game between the Dodgers and the Red Sox to win the game. 2. After hitting the home run, Lux expressed his joy as he stepped on home base. (Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“I don’t think it’s a matter of me changing my swing or anything like that,” said Lux, who went 3-for-4 (with one stolen base) to improve his batting average to .225 (tying his season-high) and his OPS to .609 (season-high).
“I’m thinking about being more aggressive. When a ball I can hit comes along, I want to swing hard.”
Overall, Lux’s production remains disappointing. Two years removed from his breakout season in 2022 (.276 batting average, above-league OPS+ and an NL-leading seven triples), the 26-year-old Lux has yet to become a spark in the lower half of the lineup, in part due to a torn ACL suffered last spring.
Roberts said Lux looked too passive at the plate, taking a “safe swing” to protect his surgically repaired knee, and it took him the first four months of the season to overcome that.
But recently there have been signs that his condition is finally improving.
Since surpassing the 150-at-bat milestone on May 31 (a milestone that manager Roberts wanted Lux to reach before evaluating his game as a whole), the infielder is batting .250 with six doubles, four home runs, 15 RBI and a .700 OPS in 31 games.
After struggling as a shortstop, he moved back to second base this spring, but his defense as a second baseman is excellent.
And even with Betts still a few weeks away from returning, Lux’s ability to give the lower half of the lineup a chance to shine remains crucial to a Dodgers lineup that’s built around the top of the order.
“He’s competing every day,” Roberts said. “I’ve praised him all year for his defense, and now his hitting is good. If you look at the last two weeks, I think the numbers match up. My eyes match up. I’m happy with what I’m seeing. And, you know, he exudes confidence.”
Lux wasn’t the only one to lead the Dodgers to a winning series against the Red Sox, a much-needed result for a team that had lost six of seven games before last week’s All-Star break.
The Dodgers hit a season-high six home runs. Freddie Freeman, Teoscar HernandezAustin Barnes, Jason Heyward, Shohei Ohtani We also did some deep sea exploring in Chavez Canyon on a warm afternoon.
Ohtani’s 473-foot home run in the fifth inning nearly cleared the roof of the right-field stands for his 30th home run of the year, leading the National League, and his teammates were stunned as he rounded the bases.
“It sounded like a shotgun coming off the bat,” Lux said.
“I was still thinking about my home run,” added Barnes, who hit his first home run of the season in his previous at-bat. [and then] I heard what sounded like gunshots and then people screaming.”
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1. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani threw down his bat after hitting a 473-foot home run against the Red Sox on Sunday. 2. After hitting the solo home run, Ohtani celebrated with third base coach Dino Ebel. 3. After hitting a home run in the fifth inning, Ohtani clapped his hands as he arrived at home base. (Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Roberts agreed. “It’s a place where no one goes. It’s so incredible. He does things every night that no one else can.”
On the mound, James Paxton recovered from a two-run homer in the first inning by Jarren Duran to pitch the sixth inning, holding the opposing team to just one more run in his first long outing in over a month, while Daniel Hudson earned the save after closer Evan Phillips gave up three runs in the ninth (he has given up nine in his past eight games).
“I think the most important thing in most games is just to win, and to come back and win. [from] “Getting through difficult situations creates a lot of momentum for the team,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, “so we want to continue doing that.”
Still, Lux’s sudden burst of offensive power could have the biggest impact on the Dodgers’ long-term prospects.
If he continues to perform well, he could be eligible to plate consecutive days against right-handed pitchers, which is likely what Betts will do as a shortstop against right-handed pitchers upon his return (he was the Dodgers’ starting shortstop before breaking his wrist).
Lux may need more use in the short term after shortstop Miguel Rojas left Sunday’s game early with right forearm tightness.
Rojas doesn’t believe the injury is serious because of the one-handed, heavy bat swings he’s been putting into his routine at the batting cages recently. Roberts said Rojas won’t play Monday, but he probably won’t need a medical.
“I’m just going to come in tomorrow and see how it feels when I throw it,” Rojas said.
Lux’s resurgence could also have implications at the trade deadline, as his continued struggles could force the team to further search for infield reinforcements.
But the Dodgers still had faith in their former first-round draft pick, and they hoped he could eventually overcome his slow start to the year and become a key part of their plans to reach the World Series.
This weekend, Lux showed some much-needed signs that this level of play is still possible.
For the first time in a long time, he still looked like someone who could be a key part of the team’s success.
