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As Opening Day approaches for the Los Angeles Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts was “noncommittal” to Gavin Lux as the team’s starting shortstop, according to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
“The Dodgers have been adamant since the start of spring that Gavin Lux will be their starting shortstop,” Ardaya posted on X on March 7. “After some recent throwing woes, Dave Roberts was noncommittal about sticking to that plan and “I don’t know” if Lux will start there on Opening Day.”
Lux is having a fine spring at the plate, hitting .384 and striking out only 3 times in 26 plate appearances through March 7, but he has struggled defensively.
Lux did not play in 2023 after sustaining a knee injury in spring training. He was expected to take over for Trea Turner who signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency. After Lux’s injury, the team turned to Miguel Rojas at shortstop.
Options at Shortstop for the Dodgers
Rojas, 35, slashed only .236/.290/.322 in 2023 for the Dodgers and in 124 games, but he was one of the National League’s best fielders, committing only 6 errors for a fielding percentage of .986, fourth best in the majors.
Lux’s offense has not been an issue for the Dodgers. In his last full season, 2022, he slashed .276/.346/.399.
That season, he primarily played second baseman, a spot now occupied by superstar Mookie Betts. At shortstop, his defense this spring has been questionable. In March 6’s Cactus League game, he had two errors on his first chances, according to Ardaya.
“I think we just have to understand that it still takes time to get back up to major-league speed and feel that once the bell rings that it’ll be there where it needs to be,” Roberts said March 6, according to the Orange County Register.
The Dodgers could look to Rojas to play shortstop once again in 2024 if Lux’s defense is not up to par. However, the Dodgers would likely want to keep Lux in the lineup for what he provides offensively. It is unlikely Lux will see many opportunities at DH with Shohei Ohtani slated to occupy that spot.
“Performance is paramount at this level. … I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Roberts told reporters when asked if Lux is the starting shortstop, according to Ardaya.
Expectations for the Dodgers in 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the talk of the MLB offseason. The team signed Shohei Ohtani, 25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto and traded for All-Star Tyler Glasnow. After making so many big moves it feels like anything less than a World Series in 2024 would be a disappointment.
The Dodgers went 100-62 in 2023 and were the number two seed in the National League. Their season came to an end when they faced the, eventual NL Champion, Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers 3-0 en route to face the Phillies in the NLCS.
The Dodgers last won the World Series in 2020, but have gone into every season since as a contender. However, postseason struggles have kept the team from reaching the World Series again. Now an already star-studded group, which includes Mookie Betts, Freddies Freeman, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, adds Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mix.
“The No. 1 goal for us to win baseball games,” Roberts told reporters, according to Ardaya. “So whatever we have to do…whatever we do is going to be in the best interest of winning.”
If Lux’s defense is going to get in the way of winning the Dodgers will likely sacrifice his value at the plate for consistency at defense.
The Los Angeles Dodgers begin their regular season on Wednesday, March 20 when they travel to South Korea to take on the San Diego Padres.
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