GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers were expecting Gavin Lux to take a significant step forward this season as the team¡¯s starting shortstop. Instead, Lux won¡¯t be suiting up at all this season after suffering a torn ACL and a sprained LCL in his right knee.
Losing Lux for the season is a gut punch to a Dodgers team that has World Series aspirations, despite going through roster turnover this offseason. Lux was a huge part of their youth movement. The 25-year-old was set to take over at his natural position after sitting behind Corey Seager and Trea Turner in the depth chart over the last three seasons.
¡°I just feel bad for him. He worked so hard this offseason, looked so good this spring, too,¡± said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. ¡°It¡¯s tough. As a young player, all you know is baseball, too, so this is going to be a tough adjustment for him. Just tough for Gavin because of how hard he worked this offseason.¡±
What¡¯s next for Lux?
Lux will let the swelling on his right knee subside before undergoing surgery in Los Angeles on March 7, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Once Lux undergoes the procedure, the Dodgers will get a better idea of his timetable and what his rehab will consist of.
The expectation is that Lux will be out for the remainder of the season, as ACL injuries usually take six to nine months to recover from. Given the importance of lateral movement at shortstop, Lux will be sidelined for most of that timeframe.
Who are the options at shortstop now?
With Lux out for the season, Miguel Rojas will be the Dodgers¡¯ everyday shortstop. Rojas was acquired from the Marlins in exchange for prospect Jacob Amaya in January in order to give Los Angeles some insurance in case of injury.
Rojas' opportunity has come up much quicker than anybody could have anticipated.
¡°What it means for me is what I¡¯ve been preparing for,¡± Rojas said. ¡°I¡¯ve been playing shortstop every day for the last four or five years of my career. I went into the offseason thinking I was going to have to prepare for 162 games, and here it is. Here¡¯s an opportunity that I¡¯m not going to take for granted.¡±
Defensively, Rojas has been above average and could be considered an upgrade over Lux. Offensively, however, the 34-year-old really struggled at the plate last season, posting a .606 OPS. His career OPS is .672.
Outside of Rojas, the Dodgers will also turn to Chris Taylor to log innings at short. Taylor has played 259 games at shortstop in his career, but was limited to just one inning at the position in 2022 as he recovered from offseason right elbow surgery. Yonny Hernandez is another possible option.
If Taylor plays the infield, what does that mean for the outfield?
The initial plan was for Taylor to be used strictly as an outfielder, but those plans have changed following Lux¡¯s season-ending injury. Because Taylor and Mookie Betts will need to occasionally play the infield, the Dodgers could opt to go with another outfielder on the Opening Day roster.
If the Dodgers choose to go with a sixth outfielder, James Outman or non-roster invitees Steven Duggar and Bradley Zimmer could be options. Jason Heyward is expected to be on the Opening Day roster as the fifth outfielder.
Can the Dodgers get help from the outside?
The Dodgers chose not to engage in bidding wars for any of the star shortstops on the market this winter, and that's mostly because of how high they were on Lux.
At this point in spring, it¡¯s much more difficult to swing a trade for a premier shortstop. The Brewers¡¯ Willy Adames and the White Sox Tim Anderson are two of the names that were thrown around over the offseason, but neither of those teams have shown a willingness to deal their star shortstop.
Expect Los Angeles to make a move at some point, but it could be to add depth and not necessarily a major impact player.
¡°I do know that what we do have will be more than sufficient, but we¡¯re always trying to get better,¡± said manager Dave Roberts. ¡°Whether it¡¯s internally or externally, I just don¡¯t know.¡±